Walk This Way - Next | Clapboard Ad Archive

Next’s Walk This Way campaign, created by Havas and launched in the United Kingdom in 2018, redefines graduate recruitment within the public interest sector by transforming Instagram into a vivid and interactive stage that explores work, life, and play under the Next brand umbrella. Eschewing traditional product push or testimonial formats, this initiative employs what Clapboard’s taxonomy classifies as FORMAT#10—Associated User Imagery—by inviting graduates to see themselves as future employees through a sprawling digital flat lay that stretches nearly 30 metres, showcasing hundreds of Next products in aspirational, carefully curated scenes. The campaign’s core innovation lies in its groundbreaking scrolling flat lay format, which debuted with an extensive collection of 204 original pieces of content, each layered with hidden challenges that encourage active exploration and engagement, thereby turning passive scrolling into an immersive experience that resonates with a digitally native audience. By leveraging Instagram’s visual-first platform, Walk This Way integrates storytelling and brand immersion without overt selling, positioning Next not only as a fashion and lifestyle brand but as a forward-thinking employer that offers diverse career opportunities tailored for graduate talent. The campaign’s scale and ambition are underscored by the original photoshoot that generated the flat lay, which seamlessly blends the Next product range into everyday and idealized professional scenarios, reinforcing brand identity while cultivating an emotional connection with its target audience. This approach aligns perfectly with the nuances of graduate recruitment, where aspirational imagery and relatable narratives are critical to capturing the attention of a competitive talent pool seeking authenticity and innovation in employer branding. The campaign earned a score of 74/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. Walk This Way matters to the industry because it demonstrates how digital media can be harnessed to construct meaningful, interactive narratives that embed brand values directly into the lived experiences and ambitions of emerging professionals.