best use of social [winner], RMA Awards 2019

National Trust approached us to create a campaign to recruit the new Head Gardener for Sissinghurst Gardens. This was a specialist role at one of National Trust’s most prestigious properties. We needed to raise awareness and reach the best talent across Western Europe to find just the right person to continue Vita’s legacy.

The thing that set this role apart from the rest was Sissinghurst Garden’s rich history; so we made it the highlight of our campaign. Our first step was to explore Vita’s writings and poetry to learn more about what went into the creation of the gardens. Next, we interviewed four of the previous Head Gardeners - Sibylle, Sarah, Alexis and Troy - to find out what it was like continuing Vita’s legacy over the past 60 years.

Using the footage from our interviews, we created targeted posts on Facebook to raise awareness amongst our target audience and drive traffic to the job role. People could find out more in a candidate pack and watch a full length version of the film.

To generate even more excitement, we wanted to create a digital experience where people could immerse themselves in a tour of the gardens. Using an Instagram grid, we showcased the individual ‘garden rooms’ through film and plotagraphs, whilst weaving in our interviews and excerpts from Vita’s writing. This taught people about the role at the same time as they explored the gardens and grounds.