HERMÈS / CONCEPTUAL RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN
A conceptual recruitment campaign for Hermès
Spring 2026 · Team project with Brooks Ewell and Grace McCarthy
Overview
Hermès has built nearly two centuries of brand equity on one thing: the hand of the artisan. But that craft depends on people, and the skills behind a Birkin or a saddle take years to learn and are passed down from one generation of craftspeople to the next. Hands Behind Heritage is a conceptual campaign designed to make artisan careers at Hermès visible, human, and desirable to Gen Z.
The Challenge
Craft can’t continue without people. Through our research into Hermès’ brand strategy, customer segments, and competitive position, we identified a challenge: recruiting the next generation of artisans.
Hermès must not only preserve craftsmanship. It must make craftsmanship desirable to the next generation.
The Strategy & Plan
The campaign rests on three pillars:
The people behind the craft. Spotlighting individual artisans and the personal stories behind their work.
Material transparency. A behind-the-scenes look at how leather is sourced, selected, and worked, aligned with the upcoming Digital Product Passport traceability requirements.
The atelier as a place to work. Showing the Hermès workshop as a supportive environment that challenges common assumptions about production work.
The campaign meets Gen Z on Instagram, Hermès.com, and a LinkedIn call to action that turns interest into applications. Content centers on Reels and carousels of artisans describing their path into the craft in their own words, alongside behind-the-scenes footage of workspaces and mentorship moments.
The Experience: Atelier Workshops
To move the campaign from the screen into the room, Hermès artisans would travel to a series of capital cities to host hands-on workshops. In each city, young people are invited to sit at the bench beside a working artisan and learn the fundamentals of the craft: cutting leather, saddle stitching, edge finishing.
The workshops provide what online content can’t. They let people really feel the artistry and precision the work requires, meet the artisans in person, and picture themselves in the role. Every session connects directly to the recruitment pipeline, with a clear path to apply.
Hands Behind Heritage
You’re invited
Take a seat at the workbench. Discover what your hands can make.
At the bench
Explore leather cutting, saddle stitching, and edge finishing alongside an artisan.
Milan, Italy
An intimate, hands-on atelier session. Date and venue to be announced.
A future made by hand.
Takeaway
I found it intriguing to approach brand strategy from the craftsperson’s side instead of the consumer’s. Taking that insight further, I turned it into an experience where people could witness the craft up close instead of just hearing about it. Developing this showed me that a well-designed experience can be more engaging than just campaign copy.