KLM Tech & Data - Are you up for it?
Animated blockbuster movie trailers reveal the hidden world of IT at KLM. Proving that their IT-experts can withstand any scenario, even in a fictional world.
KLM, known for its iconic blue-clad pilots and flight attendants, is not just an airline but also a major player in the IT industry. This is, however, not known by many, including the target audience they want to attract: IT experts. With a severe shortage of IT professionals in the job market and some negative media attention, recruiting IT talent for KLM seemed like an impossible task. But KLM had a secret weapon - the exceptional challenges and opportunities that their IT team faced daily. This is what we needed to communicate to the IT community and position KLM as a progressive IT employer.
Concept
Sandstorms in Dubai, a strike in France or transporting a T. rex. Exceptional events are the order of the day at KLM’s IT department. As an IT expert, you must be able to withstand any scenario. While diving into the work of KLM’s IT department, we soon discovered that their day-to-day job seemed straight out of an adventure or sci-fi movie. That’s why, in this campaign, everything is fictional, except for one thing: the IT projects at KLM Tech & Data.
Are you up for it?
The campaign named “UP FOR IT” positioned KLM as a forward-thinking IT employer and approached our audience by catering to their interests as a person, rather than a professional. That made us stand out from all the other recruitment campaigns out there, that mainly focused on work related content.
The campaign incorporated two fictional stories inspired by well-known adventure and sci-fi movies, but with a unique twist. These stories presented fictional challenges that were ultimately solved by real projects and innovations from the KLM Tech & Data team. Through animated trailers, each with its own distinctive style, the campaign tapped into the natural interests of the target audience, such as sci-fi, adventure, and action themes.
Animated movie trailers
To make these fictional stories come to life, we chose to create fully animated movie trailers, each with their own genre and style. With references to well-known blockbusters such as Indiana Jones or Independence Day, these trailers tap into our collective movie memory and make sure the viewer knows instantly what the story is about, while still being surprised by the role of KLM Tech & Data.
For style references, inspiration came from series such as Love, Death, Robots, as well as anime, and video games.
Combining the world of fact and fiction
While crafting the animations, simultaneously, interviews with IT experts at KLM were conducted to showcase their roles in the projects featured in the animations. These interviews were seamlessly integrated into the trailers, forming a cohesive narrative that highlighted the capabilities of KLM's IT experts and bringing together the world of fact and fiction.
In addition to the trailers, the campaign included movie posters, teasers, and snippets to further engage the target audience. Each ending with the question: ‘Can your skills withstand a world of fiction?’ The campaign's unique aspect was creating fictional worlds that aligned with the real-world challenges faced by KLM, reinforcing the message that KLM Tech & Data can handle any scenario.