Snap has launched the winning campaign from its 2021 UK Creative Council programme. The campaign, entitled ‘The Future Looks Good’ was created by Cathryn Carey, Creative Art Director and Phoebe Chetwynd-Talbot, Creative Copywriter, while at Leo Burnett. It was developed in response to a cause-related brief focused on the mental health of GenZ, in relation to their future, and career opportunities. It uses augmented reality (AR) to help them realise the power of their digital skills, problem-solving and critical thinking, by reframing the workplace of the future.  

Working with Snap mentor, Hayley McDonald, Carey and Chetwynd-Talbot looked at research into the education and career challenges facing GenZ following the pandemic, that revealed there is a shrinking pool of entry-level jobs and an uncertainty about what the future of work will look like, leading to additional mental strain for ‘Generation COVID’.  However, research also revealed that 75 per cent of all jobs will require advanced digital skills by 2030, and as the first truly digital generation, GenZ are actually entering the workforce the best equipped, and with the intuitive skills needed, to thrive in the workplace of their future.

With these insights in mind, the team created an AR experience to inspire Gen Z to build the future of their dreams, and pave their own path in the world. The winning campaign comprises an AR Face Lens that allows Gen Z Snapchatters to choose from a series of skills to generate job titles for careers of the future, including Extinct Species Revivalist, Hydroponic Farmer, Digital Fashion Design, and a World Lens Experience that demonstrates how these jobs could impact the world around us and interact with immediate outdoor surroundings.

The Creative Council, which launched in 2020 in partnership with Creative Equals, brings together leading UK creatives, challenging them to use Snapchat to develop creative solutions to address pressing societal issues. Council members do this by nominating small teams in their agencies to respond to a creative brief, with the winning idea produced and launched on Snapchat.

The AR lens, video ads and filter can be found on Snapchat from this week.