The challenge to beat: A perception amongst under-represented demographics that the Civil Service isn’t for them; that the Fast Stream is elite and not very diverse. We needed a myth-busting campaign showing that the CSFS is accessible to all graduates, based on their talent and potential regardless of their background. 
We needed to demonstrate that the Civil Service was proactively reaching out to under-represented groups, without being patronising or predictable. So we took CSFS in a new creative direction with a concept championing individualism and celebrating diversity.  
Spearheaded by the strapline, ‘It’s what you make it’, it showed that CSFS values people for who they are and what they bring to the programme. With vibrant visuals, the concept focused on CSFS’s inclusive culture, where people can genuinely bring their whole selves to work - across a surprisingly wide variety of roles. 
The results: Application representation from women was up 0.4%, lower SEB up 2.8% and disabled applicants up 1.1% on the previous campaign, moving them closer to the benchmarks the Civil Service seeks to match by 2020. Applications from BAME and LGBO applicants exceeded benchmarks by 10.3% (BAME) and 5.3% (LGBO).
Applications increased by 28% on the previous year through the shortest-ever application window of just five weeks between September and October 2018. Plus, increased applications to both the CSFS Early and Summer Diversity Internship Programmes by 58% and 37%.. 
In the Times Top 100 Companies 2019, Civil Service Fast Stream took the No 1 spot from PWC who had held it for 15 years. 
The job: Concept & Art Direction  
Agency: TMP WORLDWIDE UK
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