Concept: Find your tech happy place
To attract engineers to Westpac Bank’s Gold Coast Engineering Hub (GCEH) we needed to do more than just run a campaign. We needed to create a brand that was as unique as the destination itself.
Because not only was our target candidate one of the most sought-after groups in the recruitment game, but we also needed to convince them that they could have a major city career in a regional town.
Australia’s Gold Coast is primarily a modern beach side holiday destination, like the Costa del Sol. Not somewhere many software engineers consider growing their career. Our recruiters told us that we had nearly exhausted the well of local talent and that our campaign needed to recruit from beyond the region with a focus on Sydney and Melbourne. In distance terms this would be like asking a London based software engineer to relocate to the Costa del Sol.
LinkedIn 37sec - General
YouTube Bumper - General
LinkedIn 37sec - Cyber
LinkedIn 37sec - Data
A thriving brand
Our ‘Find your tech happy place’ brand campaign was created to dispel the cliché of the loner techie crouched over a computer in a dark room wearing a hoodie and headphones.
In our 12 discovery interviews with engineers GCEH we discovered an incredibly international and collaborative group who love getting out in nature as much as they love coding. And coming from all over the world means that no-one is an outsider – a very attractive message for someone about to relocate their family.
So, every aspect of our recruitment campaign carried the ‘Find your tech happy place’ branding with bespoke and authentic imagery, and video footage, of our GCEH engineers living the dream of a capital city career in a relaxed seaside environment.
So, we created four long-form and six short-form videos blending authentic storytelling, lifestyle footage, and playful creativity. Each format had a role in showing that the GCEH isn’t just a workplace - it’s a community and a way of life.
We created a dedicated careers website page featuring a video of our CIO explaining how he believes getting out of the office, breathing in fresh sea air, and clearing your mind can boost innovation and productivity.
LinkedIn life pages and LinkedIn banners carried images of ‘Find your tech happy place’ written in code in the sand. We even created ‘Teams’ backgrounds and pull up banners with motivational messaging such as ‘Surf, Code, Sleep, Repeat’ to ensure our GCEH resonated internally as well as externally.
The result was a joyful, lifestyle-driven narrative that elevated GCEH as not just a place to work, but a place to thrive.
Results
The ‘Find your tech happy place’ video campaign was an unqualified success, proving the power of multi-channel storytelling in one of the toughest categories: attracting scarce engineering talent.
This is especially true when considering the nuances of the Australian and UK digital markets.
The UK’s population is roughly 2.5 times larger than Australia’s, with a more mature and densely populated professional market on platforms like LinkedIn. This means that Australian engagement figures, while appearing smaller in raw numbers, are exceptionally strong when benchmarked against the local population.
Across YouTube and Reddit*, we combined animated explainers with lifestyle-driven narratives such as Jogging and Surfing. Collectively, these drove 5.08 million impressions, with 20,653 clicks at an efficient $9.70 CPM. Results showed both efficiency and deep engagement:
Reddit CPC: $0.78–$0.82 (outstanding efficiency for niche technical targeting).
Reddit CTR: up to 2.36% (exceptional for a high-consideration ask).
YouTube 6sec Completed Views: 2.47M, with a completion rate >95% (well above norms of 70–85%).
5,500,000+ Impressions
20000+ clicks
75% CTR
On LinkedIn**, our professional anchor, results were not just benchmark-beating—they were benchmark-shattering.
We reached 128,149 professionals, delivering 666,127 impressions at 5.2 frequency. Performance highlights included:
CTR: 0.62% vs. 0.30% benchmark (+106.7%)
VTR: 37.95% vs. 20% benchmark (+89.8%)
Engagement rate: 2.40% vs. 0.66% benchmark (+263.6%)
With 42.9% audience penetration and 61% net new engagers, the campaign expanded our footprint in a measurable, lasting way.
Outcome: By fusing reach, engagement, and efficiency, we consistently outperformed industry standards. This campaign proved that strategic storytelling, combined with precision channel orchestration, can elevate recruitment marketing into true brand building.
*SPARK Foundry campaign performance report August ‘25
**Source: GCEH LinkedIn campaign report 2025
