McCann Wellington campaign shows authentic reality of working in Corrections

The Department of Corrections Ara Poutama Aotearoa and McCann Wellington have launched a new recruitment campaign.

The campaign, ‘Real JD’, follows Guy, a new recruiter thrust into the world of Corrections to learn first-hand that you need more than a regular job description to understand what the role demands.

Department of Corrections Ara Poutama Aotearoa Dave McHawk says: “The work at Corrections isn’t easy, but it matters. It’s team-drive, meaningful and is focused on helping people find a better future. Working in both prisons and communities, our team take on a huge number of roles – all to support rehabilitation, manage risks and to keep both people and the communities safe. It’s the type of role that is hard to show in just a standard job description – it’s bigger and way more complex.”

Hard-case conversations

For safety reasons, staff cannot appear on camera, so they were interviewed to capture the way they naturally talk about their jobs. Those sometimes hard-case conversations shaped the world Guy steps into and the insights he gains along the way.

McCann Wellington chief creative officer Brigid Alkema says: “As our man Guy discovers, it really does take a certain type of person. You need big ears and a small mouth. You’ve got to be able to read the air, have eyes in the back of your head, stay one step ahead, be as cool as a cucumber and have your heart in the right place. It sounds like a lot, but after all, as Guy’s reminded – no one’s in here for stealing lollipops.”

The campaign is rolling out across Aotearoa through broadcast and digital AV, out of home and targeted recruitment channels.