DDB Onboarding Rebrand

Tasked with reinventing the “New Hire Onboarding” experience at DDB Chicago, research was done on what culture means to new hires and how that concept leads to feelings of support throughout the time spent there.

Stripping down the meaning of culture, it’s something that needs to be felt rather than just said. A successful culture needs to be subtle, strong, clear and impactful from day one. DDB needs to come off authentic, but also pay attention to the little details.
What do they really want new hires to feel when they get here? Nervousness and the excitement of the unknown — but at the same time welcomed and confident they are in a place they can grow.

The camp theme represents that feeling of adventure as a new hire, and that distinguishable kindness exuded at DDB Chicago. This industry may have you feeling like you’re out in the wild sometimes — so DDB wants to be a place where people can ground themselves and feel welcomed. 

Custom Hand Lettered Logo for Branded Onboarding

Uncharted Territory

Camp Bernbach isn’t just campy because it’s fun and light hearted, but it is also able to form an emotional connection with new hires and express team camaraderie in the most casual way. That’s the reason this journey starts before you arrive to DDB.

Postcards

To make sure all the touch points were addressed, when new hires first gets the job, their team will send out a postcard welcoming them so they can feel comfortable earlier.

Customizable E-mails

In order to make the onboarding experience communicative and transparent from the start HR will recieve three drafted, designed, and customizable emails to be a part of informing and introducing the new hires new hire, the team, and the manager to inform and welcome them.

Setting Up Camp

Just like setting up camp, the first day at this agency should feel like an exciting new challenge — before you can appreciate the grandeur of your surroundings, you have to take stock of your equipment

Campsite camaraderie is important for culture, so envisioned above is a community location with cool instant photos of each new hire. This allows everyone at the office to be on the lookout for new people to welcome. The polaroids would hang on a new pegboard, like a trailhead bulletin board. 

Welcome Kit

Included in the box above are the essentials needed to set up camp. From branded bandanas to the first welcome pins, the items encourage individuals to be adventurous and to craft community. They identify us all as members of the same troop, without sacrificing individual creativity and expression. Equipped with the necessary tools, new hires will feel comfortable enough to forge their own path.

Field Guide

With so many first day tasks to complete on top of trying to find one’s place at the agency, a one-stop document that contains everything new hires need will streamline the individual onboarding process. With a style that encourages note taking, collecting, cataloguing, and exploring, the field guide is intended to stay with new hires for as long as they need — it is both a long-term reference and a short-term workbook.

Campfire Socials

Implementing monthly themed office events for new hires will also gives other employees the opportunity to swing by and chat with new people coming in. Essentially these themed events are a way to keep the Camp Bernbach spirit alive, and makes it something that is unique and own-able because they can become a little tradition at DDB Chicago.

Merit Badges

As part of the effort to build out agency culture for everyone, every new hire will receive a their first DDB merit badges (included in the desk kit.) Additionally, these merit badges can be gained over an employees’ time at DDB to visualize the journey in a tangible way. Whether you attend an event or help out on a new account, badges can be collected as a way to showcase your path.

Camp on Social

You can’t go camping without good music so we have curated a Spotify playlist that mimics the different moods that one can experience when going on a camping trip. Even though it’s something simple, it’s also something everyone can enjoy and tune into. 

On the right we have some Instagram stickers that could be found under #DDB on Giphy. These digital stickers allow for employer branding outside of DDB corporate social accounts. It allows employees to share a part of themselves that they’re proud of and let the world catch a glimpse of Camp Bernbach.