Want brave new talent? This is how you do it. You create a video that scares them straight out of advertising. Only the bravest will survive. Perhaps only the left-of-field thinkers will get it.

Toronto agency, Zulu Alpha Kilo’s recruiting video is called Scared Straight Out of Advertising. You can now guess the kind of recruits it’s looking for.

The winner of Ad Age’s international small agency of the year in 2017 is likely not looking to take on also-rans.

The agency produced the video for Canada’s hugely competitive Strategy Magazine’s Agency of the Year Competition. As part of the award show ceremony, shortlisted agencies are asked to create a short video for their agency. Creating a self-promo video for the event has become something of an annual tradition and an unofficial competition in itself, with top Canadian agencies all vying to have the best video of the night.

SCARED STRAIGHT: Out of Advertising is packed with just about every joke and insight you can make about the ad industry – from everyone wearing all black “uniforms,” to the unrealistic expectations of new grads, to the long hours – and of course, that universal truth, the industry’s obsession with awards.

The agency even took yet another shot at spec creative work. Zulu famously created the Say no to Spec campaign around the same time two years ago.

Is this wild and wonderful recruitment ad for real? Yes. The agency is looking to fill 14 new positions. Earlier this year, Zulu Alpha Kilo launched The $40k A Year Employeeship, an initiative that gives any soon to be or recent graduate seeking an internship as an art director, designer, or copywriter, the chance to forgo an internship all together. Zulu believes its program will help attract the brightest young talent to the agency without all the ambiguities that come with an internship.

The video was produced in-house by the agency’s production arm, zulubot, and directed by agency founder and chief creative officer, Zak Mroueh.

Credits:
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Creative Director: Zak Mroueh
Art Director: Brendan McMullen
Writer: Jacob Pacey
Agency Producer: Revital Grunberg
Account Team: Matt Sinuita
Social Media: Sean Bell

Production House: zulubot
Director: Zak Mroueh
Production House Producers: David “Grover” Cosgrove & Marc Milliard
Director of Photography: Rob Dutchin
Second Camera: Stefan MacDonald Labelle

Casting Director: Shasta Lutz, Jigsaw Casting
Video Post Facility & Editing Company: zulubot
Editors: Jay Baker & Marissa Bergougnou
Compositor & Online: Marissa Bergougnou
Colourist & Transfer: Wade Odlum, Alter Ego
Audio Post Facility & Music House: zulubot
Engineer: Stephen Stepanic

Actors: Karen Parker, Nigel Downer, Allison Price, Kyle Lucey, Caroline Toal, Gavin Pounds, Aris Tyros, Amanda McKnight & Brennan Asbridge