RECRUITMENT advertising has never been so strong, reflecting record levels of job creation in the economy. And the health of the market was reflected in a strong entry for The Irish Times Recruitment Advertising Effectiveness Awards, not only in terms of the volume of entries but also their quality.
The judging panel, chaired by John Donnelly of Deloitte & Touche, had to pick winners from an entry which reflected the changing nature of recruitment advertising. The awards were run in association with the Institute of Personnel & Development and the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland.
Ms Maeve Donovan, general sales and marketing manager of The Irish Times, speaking at the presentation of the awards, pointed to the ever increasing use of colour as a key change since the awards were first introduced 10 years ago. Also, companies were now using recruitment advertising not only to attract top quality candidates, but also to get across a strong corporate image. The Irish Times weekly business section, Business This Week, which appears every Friday, allowed the use of full colour, she pointed out, as well as providing a credible package for advertisers.
Awards were made in six different categories with two additional special merit awards.
In the sales and marketing category, Pfizer's advertisement for an Animal Health Representative won out. Designed and drafted by McConnells, this advertisement was designed around a pair of wellingtons, saying the salesperson sought would have no trouble filling these boots. The judges felt it put across a clear message and accurately depicted the nature of the job.
In the computer category, Intel and Irish International Advertising once again picked up the top prize. Highlighting its location at Leixlip, Co Kildare, it uses local farming images as a colourful backdrop against which it asks.
Where in the world would you find the leading manufacturer of microprocessors?"
The judges were particularly impressed by its use of locality to lead the recruitment drive. The clean air and country environment image, they felt, was used in a very effective way to attract new staff, as well as building up the image of the company as a key player in its local area.
Entries in the general management category were of a particularly high quality. The award went to United Cinemas International (UK) for its advertisement for a house manager at its Coolock cinema complex. Drawing its inspiration from the famous poster for the Usual Suspects movie, which starred Irish actor, Gabriel Byrne, the ad boldly declared "We don't want the usual suspects." Created by Barkers advertising agency's Manchester team, the recruitment details were displayed alongside the poster design and were part of a campaign by UCI using different movie themes. The judges felt the advertisements were very imaginatively framed and eye catching and would be likely to attract suitable candidates.
In the personnel and training sector, the clever use of footage of President Clinton listening to a speech by his wife Hillary, won plaudits for the Marlborough Group and its agency, Rub icon. Feel like someone else is taking credit for your work" goes the heading, with the poster showing a rather fed up President alongside his upbeat wife. The text adds. Maybe its time for a move"? In this case, the judges felt its witty use of popular figures greatly enhanced its effectiveness.
Barkers agency picked up its second award in the finance sector for its Coopers & Lybrand advertising campaign. The work of the team at its London office received recognition in this category for its advertisement seeking recently qualified accountants to work in London. Scripted against the image of a pint of the Ireland's famous dark brew, the advertisement concedes that not everything about London is a brilliant experience. The judges decision was based on their perception that the advertisement was highly successful in targeting the most suitable candidates for the jobs.
A.T. Cross, received the honours in the engineering and technical field, for its campaign to recruit production support and electronic crafts people. Using its famous pen brand, the McConnells' designed advertisement was commended by Mr Ian Fox director of IAPI, who spoke on behalf of the judges at the presentation. He said the presentation caught the attention of the judges because of its "classical and elegant" depiction of the A.T. Cross product and the good use of a small pace.
This year the judges approved two special merit awards. Two distinctive recruitment advertising campaigns were honoured.
A series of recruitment ads for the Hewlett Packard corporation, designed by DDFH&B, received the first of these awards. Featuring powerful use of colour photography and dramatic images, the campaign concentrated on the visual. The range of subjects of the six part series was viewed by the panel as very stylish, spanning issues arising from personnel and wider corporate issues.
The second special merit award went to Guinness for its recruitment campaign aimed at managers and engineers. Using familiar figures of the dancing Joe McKinney, the advertisements ask. "Guess who's looking for a few good heads?". In this case, Mr Fox pointed out, the judging panel felt the translation of Guinness's successful television advertising to its recruitment campaign was carried out very effectively.
