Yell launches first recruitment gadget ad in the UK

Yell, the international directories business, and TMP Worldwide, the recruitment communications company, have produced a digital first in online resourcing by launching the UK's first gadget ad to recruit potential candidates and raise brand awareness.

TMP Worldwide has designed a rich media interactive ad with the strapline of ìTalented Digitsî ñ intended as a humorous play on the way fingers work with digital technology. The ad enables users to watch home-made videos of finger dancing submitted by people from around the world; play a game based on finger dancing; and apply for jobs. These are in marketing including new media roles, as well as other new media opportunities in technology and sales.

TMP selected the best finger dancing videos from YouTube ñ currently a major craze on the site - for the campaign and which are being used with the creatorsí permission.

Yellís gadget ad will be present on around 50 sites including Facebook and Bebo. See Yellís ad at http://www.yellcareers.com/gadget

Isabelle Hung, head of UK Resourcing at Yell, said: These gadget ads are a dynamic and creative online marketing format that uses new technology to great effect. It enables us to engage and entertain web users whilst once again demonstrating that Yell is an innovative employer with new media, technology and innovation at the heart of our business. Our strategy is to raise further the profile of Yell as an employer in a way that resonates and engages people with specialist skills in new media environments.î

This is the latest wave of an integrated recruitment campaign by Yell that has previously used other innovative channels such as Second Life, alongside more traditional online and offline recruitment communications.

Andrew Wilkinson, chief executive of TMP Worldwide, emphasises the initiative Yell is displaying. ìTo attract the best possible people to your organisation today you need to be communicating your culture, brand and opportunities on numerous levels. Candidates are incredibly sophisticated with their media and network capabilities and this innovative approach by Yell displays how focused it is on maintaining its position at the cutting edge of resourcing,î he said.

The gadget ads enable in-depth real time analysis of the success of the campaign. Full interaction reporting by Google enables TMP Worldwide and Yell to understand how users are interacting with the gadget and which online media channels are the most effective. This type of instantaneous reporting enables Yell to gain the maximum from its online recruitment spend and accurately target key audiences.

Andrew continued: ìTMP aims to lead the digital recruitment revolution and our Second Life and in-game projects have started to build our reputation. Using gadget ads for Yell - which is a UK first - continues to enhance our reputation for innovation in recruitment.î

Meanwhile, Yell continues to enhance its reputation as an employer, having recently been ranked in the Top Ten in The Financial Times ìBest Workplaces in the UKî survey, compiled by the Great Place to Work Institute. The evaluation was based on an employee survey, a ìculture auditî and a submission by the company.

The Institute defines a great place to work as one where a companyís people trust those they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people with whom they work.

Yell is also one of only 36 organisations throughout the UK with ìInvestors in Peopleî Champion status, a further reflection of its effective management and people development.