Online career marketplace LinkedIn just launched its latest campaign that hopes to inspire and empower the workforce to pursue opportunities more in line with their career path.
Made together with production company Strike Anywhere, the efforts are marked by two spots, "Cabinet" and "Wallpaper," that depict the feeling of being stuck at your workplace — literally.
Using surreal imagery, the campaign shows our tendency to sometimes feel too comfortable at our workplace, to the point that we feel one with the office furniture.
The commercials then show us when enough is enough, taking that stagnancy and complacency as a sign to break free and find something better suited for us.
But how does one do that? Through LinkedIn, of course.
The stars of the two spots use LinkedIn's "Open To Work" and "Job Collections" features to break free from their boring day jobs and head to broader horizons.
"We wanted to turn the feeling of complacency into something visually striking, and I can’t think of a better brand to own that metaphor than LinkedIn,” Strike Anywhere’s John Larigakis, the director of the two films, said in a statement.
"There’s a magic that happens when the strange meets the familiar, so we aimed for a balance of relatable emotion and slightly absurd imagery that would be hard to ignore," he added.
With two relatable stories and a simple call-to-action (CTA), the two new spots from LinkedIn and Strike Anywhere are good examples of how to emotionally connect and engage with audiences through impactful brand storytelling.
The Solution to Feeling Stuck
"Cabinet" starts off with a man literally stuck in an office cabinet, watching as his officemates pass by him.
"Feeling stuck at work?" the screen writes.
The man then pulls out one drawer in order to open the LinkedIn app on his phone. Here, he uses the "Open To Work" feature to let recruiters know he's actively looking for new opportunities.
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The man smiles, as he gets tons of messages from recruiters actively hiring.
He breaks free from the cabinet, as the spot ends.
The second spot "Wallpaper" sees a woman in a similar situation, although this time, she's attached to the office wall.

She then whips out her phone to use LinkedIn's "Job Collections" feature, viewing different job openings and roles under one tab.
The woman then clicks on a "Content Manager" opening to know more about the role's responsibilities, as the commercial ends.
To effectively market to a target audience, brands should focus on addressing specific pain points with empathetic messaging, which is what LinkedIn has done in crafting relatable scenarios that reflect their audience’s experiences while offering actionable solutions.
Meanwhile, Squarespace recently launched a teaser for its upcoming Super Bowl commercial aimed at inspiring entrepreneurs.