Who would want to be known as a Banker? The banking sector faces huge image issues, at best, its seen as boring and out of touch, at worst it seen as self-serving with 50% of clients feel that their bank doesn't serve their best interests. Successive global banking crises have not helped, with banks being seen as defending the status quo for their own benefit.

BNP Paribas wanted to set themselves apart from the sector’s negative image baggage. The bank had undergone a process of cultural transformation with a focus on innovation customer-centricity and positive impact.

This cultural difference needed to be revealed to the world

1. To improve the social image of the company

2. To enhance the bank’s attractiveness as an employer, particularly to a generation driven by a desire to make a difference.

#Unexpected Jobs was a key part this journey.

To change the perception people have about the bank we had to start with a simple yet concrete step: making more accessible and understandable what people at the bank does every day. By asking our employees to change their job titles into their Unexpected Jobs, we were not only allowing them to express and show the world their engagement but also showing the public that the banking sector is more than ever engaged into society’s transformation

This campaign had two challenges at stake:

1. Attract new talents by breaking with the aging stereotypes of banking, showing a diversity of banking professions that are at the forefront of technological, financial, and societal innovation.

2. Reveal the big impact and engagement that current employees have on their clients, on the bank, on professionals and on society in general.

There is nothing more conservative and hierarchical than job titles in banks, titles say where people fit in the corporate, they do not say what impact you make. With #UnexpectedJobs, BNP Paribas were encouraged employees to write a new job title that reflected the impact they made every day.

We started by organizing workshops with a selection of 3000 employees from various departments, geographical regions, and seniority levels. During these workshops we looked for job titles that aren’t typically associated with banking, the new titles should embody the real impact, engagement and work the employees do daily. 30 of these profiles have been selected to participate in the campaign.

An unprecedented creative approach in the employer brand universe in France:

• We went looking for new job titles that wouldn't typically be associated with the banking sector to embody the true impact that these people have on a daily basis

• Opting for a setting location away from offices, with framing that reveals a personality trait, a passion, or an expertise.

• Collaboratively writing scenarios and titles with campaign participants to prioritize free and personal expression.

• Employing an authentic tone to provide a fresh perspective on unexpected roles.

The campaign has been a resounding success:

• 5,400 employees changed their job title in a post with the #unexpectedjobs generating 12,689 comments and an engagement rate of 7.8%

• 190 million interactions across all media, including 6 million "100%" video completion, across all platforms

• 562 visitors to the Unexpectedjobs generator at Vivatech (biggest innovation Festival in France)

• 4,901 listens to the Happy Work podcast by Gaël CHATELAIN-BERRY on Unexpected days at Roland Garros

• 486K views of the 3-hour Twitch live with Micode (French tech YouTuber with 1,2 M followers) followed live by 10K people

• 14.7 million organic views

• Trending Topic on LinkedIn France for financial sector

• Nearly a quarter of French people (18 to 55 yo) have reported seeing it

• A campaign recognized as innovative in marketing and communication press, mentioned in more than 15 articles in France and abroad.