Without a doubt, Indeed.com is the best site on the planet for finding a job, especially if you're an aging '80s rocker in need of a gig: The company will be all too happy to put you in one of its commercials.
Last year, Loverboy frontman Mike Reno second-guessed the lyrics of the band's hit "Working for the Weekend" in an amusing Indeed ad by Sleek Machine. This time around, the Boston agency transforms former Runaways singer/guitarist and solo star Lita Ford into a schoolteacher for the thrashing spot below:
Whoa, is anyone else hot for teacher right now? (Because of her slammin' solo, obviously—which she performed live and sans postproduction edits on a no-frills guitar, chosen because it resembles the gear you'd typically find in a school music program.)
Ford's spot is part of Indeed's new "Celebrations" campaign, which also features treadmill dancer Marcus Dorsey and professional BMX rider Bo Wade. In each spot, the subjects start out "disguised" as average workers, until their superior talents are revealed as they celebrate their blissful new employment.
Because working all day is always a cause for celebration, right?
Actually, the cute campaign seeks to address the negative thinking that pervades the job-site category, Sleek Machine chief creative officer Tim Cawley tells AdFreak.
"While advertising for many other sites focuses on browbeaten workers who need to 'escape' their Orwellian jobs and grumpy bosses, Indeed focuses instead on all the bright, talented people out there looking for their next opportunity," he says. "They embrace the job seeker as someone who's looking to make a promising career even more promising ... thus, 'Celebrations.' "
Fair enough, though it seems a bit odd that Ford—not a huge name these days, though still a draw owing to the nostalgia factor—isn't identified on screen. "I'd guess most folks won't even know it's her," Cawley concedes. "But the upside to using her is that there is a little PR/earned media angle, too."
Naturally, Cawley hopes Ford's commercial follows Reno's up the charts. That earlier spot "was one of the most shared and liked videos Indeed has ever put in their social feed," he says. "People are massively interested in seeing their '80s rock heroes in a new context."
While Indeed has no specific plans for more such ads, "We've always dreamed of working with Skid Row or Ratt," says Cawley. "And Jon Bon Jovi is free to email us anytime."
CREDITS
Client: Indeed
Agency: Sleek Machine
CCO: Tim Cawley
Senior Integrated Producer: Ben Ouellette
Senior Copywriter: Jeff Marois
Senior Art Director: Jessica Ruggieri
Music: Skyrmish ("Bike Technician" and "Physiologist")
Talent: Lita Ford, Bo Wade, Marcus Dorsey
Director: David Tindale
Production Company: Big Nest Creative
Editor: Nick Agri