New Course from Brixton Finishing School AD-Cademy Launches across UK

Brixton Finishing School has officially launched the AD-Cademy, a free online advertising course aimed to help address the lack of diversity in advertising, with a campaign developed by Mother London that will run across donated media in local and national press, OOH, digital and social.

The AD-Cademy is led by industry experts from all disciplines and it aims to encourage and inspire young people from anywhere in the UK to pursue jobs in the creative, digital and tech industries, no matter their background. In order to raise interest from people that wouldn’t normally consider the advertising industry as a viable career option, the AD-Cademy celebrates digital visual vernaculars, such as swiping and scrolling - embodying the world the course lives within, in a youthful and current way.

The launch campaign shows how the little things we do every day are actually tangible skills and talents that could land one a job in the industry. It also demystifies the variety of careers the industry offers for a young audience, from creative and strategists to social media experts. 

The campaign uses visual effects playing on the tropes and conventions of these different roles within the industry, whilst arresting headlines were created to spike interest. Mother aims to make these diverse roles feel accessible to anyone who has the talent and drive to succeed, and show how one can turn their talents into a successful career in the advertising industry.

Other partners include Mail Metro Media which has donated cover wraps and digital inventory; Clear Channel which has donated national OOH advertising, including through its prestigious Storm portfolio of super-premium digital screens in cities like Manchester, Glasgow and London; Brand Advance which donated £50k worth of inventory across its media diversity network and lent expertise. Similarly, Refinery29, part of the Vice Media Group, has provided an inventory donation whilst Wilderness Agency is offering social campaign support. 

"Our industry is opening its eyes to the lack of social diversity." commented Oli Rimoldi and Anthony Montagne, creative directors at Mother. "Recruitment is only half the job, we still need to attract young talent, many of whom don’t even know our industry exists. This campaign talks to that emerging talent about jobs they've never heard of, in a language they understand, to shine a light on their untapped career potential - with modern colloquialisms and online behaviours used to define roles that's both relatable and thought provoking."

Ally Owen, founder of Brixton Finishing School, added: “The AD-cademy is a game-changing moment for the rebalancing of the future talent pipeline at scale. Young people in Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester, Glasgow, Hull and all across the country will have access to amazing teachings from some of the stars of the creative and media industries. The AD-Cademy will be an awesome self-serve learning platform of lectures, as well as showcases and events that will enrich young people’s knowledge of the advertising industry.

"I am extremely grateful to all of the partners who have helped make this launch happen," Ally concluded, "from the wonderful brand work from the team at Mother to the inventory donations and campaign support from the likes of Mail Metro Media, Clear Channel, Brand Advance and Wilderness- it shows just how powerful we can be as an industry if we all come together.”