Jobs need people, and people need jobs. That’s the crux of Indeed’s latest campaign — its first from new agency of record 72andSunny — that aims to mediate between job seekers beaten down by endless searching and faceless rejections, and employers drowning in AI-written resumes.
Positioning Indeed as an “AI powered matching engine” instead of a traditional job board, “Jobs Need People” reminds viewers that, while technology can streamline the process, hiring must remain fundamentally human.
Shot on film, the short videos feature a radiologist, a server, a flight attendant, and a chef, among others, highlighting the range of roles and demographics on the site. Hand-drawn illustrations bring humanity to the work while visualizing the idea that a job is a set of challenges waiting for the right person to solve.
The campaign responds to a 2026 survey finding that job seekers are increasingly frustrated and burnt out. Eighty-one percent of applicants said they never hear back; 45% question whether they’re qualified for the roles they’re applying for; and 53% assume they won’t. Job seekers spend an average of six hours a day researching and applying.
“People are applying, and many may not hear back. It’s making them not feel seen. Is anyone out there?” Jennifer Warren, global vice-president, brand marketing and creative, told ADWEEK. “This campaign acknowledges that, supports them, and lets them know employers need them. It’s a sentiment that everybody is feeling right now.”
The campaign launches in the U.S. across TV, streaming, YouTube, and social, before expanding into additional markets.
Indeed said 31 people are hired on its platform every minute, reflecting both the breadth of available roles and its global scale.
“Indeed is a platform truly for everyone. As brand builders, sometimes that’s a challenge,” Warren said. “It kept coming back that job seekers aren’t feeling seen and need support, and employers were feeling overwhelmed by applications and wanted an easier way to spot the right candidate.”
Wanting the campaign to signal a new era of hiring, Indeed has leaned into recent product innovations: job seekers can now state preferences and highlight skills beyond a resume, while employers can better source and screen candidates.
“What we’ve done with our product is give job seekers a tool to bring other dimensions to the equation… to demonstrate more about who they are beyond just their resume,” Warren said. “One of the big shifts we’ve made is becoming a hiring and matching machine that can also bring jobs to people through candidate sourcing and screening — helping job seekers and employers better find each other.”
