Pre-Fame Tarzan and Dorothy Star in SEEK Campaign Via Droga5 and Revolver

Australian employment marketplace SEEK has launched a major new brand campaign, with its creative partner Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, highlighting how every Aussie can find their best job match using its AI-powered search and match functionality.

Launching today, the campaign's first instalments feature Tarzan, before he was the King of the Jungle, and Dorothy, before she made it to Oz.

Rolling out over the coming months, it will feature five iconic characters known for their jobs, captured just before discovering their true calling.

Directed by Taso Alexander from Revolver, the campaign builds on SEEK’s iconic ‘SEEK and you shall find’ brand platform.

Speaking to LBB, Taso praised the level of involvement and care from all key stakeholders of the production over an “immersive” five-week production in Australia.

“Maybe I'm just spoiled, but it felt like everyone cared so much, all the way from the top,” Taso said.

“There was just like a buzzing enthusiasm for it. I've done agency kickoff calls, but there was even a client kickoff call. There was something so refreshing about it -- you could tell that they were really excited.

“They were really trusting of me all the way through. It was absolutely useful. It was all approved incredibly quickly, faster than normal for sure, because they budgeted so much time on the back end for the client to go through variations.”

Taso said while every spot is pretty considerably different in terms of “world-building”, the throughline across the platform is the vulnerability of the characters.

“We see all these people in jobs they shouldn’t be doing otherwise,” he explained. “[Casting] was a pretty big challenge in that respect. I come from casting, so I find I just have so much patience for it … but people have their ideas of who Dorothy is, but then we also have our own interpretation, to a certain degree.

“Everyone has their own opinions of what Dorothy should look like and what she looks like in the movie… but by the time we were actually shooting it, everyone was so happy with the actors and locations. And I really found some of the very best crew I've ever worked with.”

Each character, like any job seeker, is presented with unique skills and aspirations that SEEK matches to their ideal role.

Maryanne Tsiatsias, SEEK chief marketing officer APAC, said, “Together with Droga5, we had the task of bringing the power of SEEK to life in a way that was both refreshing and distinctive while also tapping into the playful side of our brand personality.

“When it comes to looking for a job, we know how important it is for Australians and Kiwis to be able to find the right opportunities for them. Everything we do is centered on doing just that and we’re very proud of our unrivalled search and match functionality.

“It’s no coincidence that Australians and New Zealanders are almost six times more likely to find the best match for them on SEEK. Like the characters in our ads, no matter what their requirements, SEEK is where Australians will find the right job for them.

“As the region’s most trusted employment marketplace, and with the implementation of enhanced AI-powered search and match functionality, we wanted to bring this capability to life with simple, entertaining and hard-working advertising.

“Everything we do at SEEK is centered on helping job seekers and employers find their best matches and ensuring that when people do seek, they really shall find a job that meets their individual preferences and requirements. This campaign demonstrates one of the ways we do just that.”

Maryanne added the campaign “will drive talkability, and we’re really proud of the results of the collaboration. We can’t wait to see how audiences respond, and we hope they enjoy all the surprises along the way.”

Droga5 executive creative directors Joe Sibley and Hugh Gurney added, “One of the things we are most proud about is how entertaining and expandable this campaign is. It’s well-branded, tells you everything we want you to know and doesn’t sacrifice on entertainment value. We think people will love it.”

Taso agrees and is excited about a less-obvious style of comedy spot that allows audiences to lean into the humour.

“There's been so much comedy that's come out where the joke is really pointed,” Taso said.

“Maybe that's part of the generation of TikTok and trying to get to the point quickly. I've really enjoyed seeing things treating the audience a bit more intelligently. It's okay if there are a few beats of people just being for a moment. It's kind of refreshing to see a little bit more of that, and these spots in particular seem to be reflective of that -- yes, there's this joke here, but we're not gonna scream ‘laugh here,’ just let people enjoy it.”

The media strategy was delivered by UM Australia, UM New Zealand, and SEEK’s internal media and customer engagement team. The campaign will run across TV, outdoor, online video, radio, search, email, display, social and SEEK-owned channels. It’s also running in cinemas in Australia.