The Guardian is hiring developers. Whilst this is probably of no interest to you, that’s exactly the point.
If you visit The Guardian’s website and have a quick gander at its source code you’ll see “WE ARE HIRING” proudly emblazoned in eye-watering ASCII art, with a link to a range of developer job descriptions.
Whether you consider this an ad on not, this is a brilliant example of a brand understanding its audience.
What we really love about this piece is the insight the Guardian is showing, not just in how to reach the right people, but effectively qualifying their potential applicants as part of their reach.
The Insight
The users exposed to this message aren’t seeing it by chance. The Guardian recognises that when a developer likes what they see in a website they want to see how it has been made.
Where do they find this information? The source code.
Rather than your run of the mill code monkey, this message exclusively reaches a developer that’s curious enough to inspect the code of a site they think is doing the right things of their own initiative – an extremely desirable quality for a potential new team member.
The Outcome
A developer would appreciate this message – it’s an Easter Egg that they’ve found because they can. More than this, it shows the Guardian understands what drives the best talent and promises a culture where that talent, and the innovation it fosters, will be valued.
