LinkedIn’s latest campaign, created by VCCP, speaks directly to Gen Z professionals facing career restlessness. It uses humour and a unique creative twist to highlight the platform’s job collections feature.
We’ve all had that feeling—that nagging thought that maybe it’s time for a change. Whether it’s the lure of flexible hours, the promise of career growth, or the pull of a more purpose-driven role, young professionals today are more likely than ever to explore new opportunities.
LinkedIn’s latest campaign, Got Itchy Feet?, leans into this idea, using a literal interpretation of the phrase to create a playful yet insightful take on career dilemmas.
The campaign, developed by VCCP, features three episodic films in which workers’ inner monologues—personified by their own sock-clad feet—voice their career doubts. It’s a lighthearted and memorable approach that highlights LinkedIn’s job collections, a feature designed to make job hunting more intuitive and tailored to individual preferences.
The campaign’s inspiration was simple: Everyone has moments of career contemplation, so why not turn that internal dialogue into something engaging and relatable?
“We all have doubts about whether we’re in the right job. The inner monologue we have with ourselves is fertile ground for turning into a fun script,” says VCCP creative Robbie Field. “When we read the insights about Gen Z always being on the lookout for something new, that’s when we struck on Itchy Feet—and how it could be a great device to deliver some motivation to look further afield.”
Rather than feeling like just another career advice campaign, Got Itchy Feet? strikes a balance between humour and helpfulness, ensuring it resonates with its audience. “LinkedIn has a simple, helpful tool in job collections. All we had to do was tee people up to learn about it in a fun way,” explains VCCP creative Henry Westcott. “We wanted people to see a bit of themselves in these ads and their own job journey reflected back at them.”
The campaign highlights three key priorities for Gen Z job seekers: flexibility, career growth, and social impact. These insights weren’t plucked from thin air—they came from real research that shaped the creative direction of the campaign.
“They were true insights from research – tangible things that Gen Zers actually want,” says Westcott. “Then the scripts flowed from there. We made a point of working with the cast to adapt the scripts too, so nothing felt forced, and no dialogue felt out of place.”
It’s a smart move, considering LinkedIn’s Work Change Report found that young professionals today are on track to hold twice as many jobs over their careers compared to those entering the workforce 15 years ago. For this generation, it’s not just about having a job – it’s about having the right job, one that aligns with their values and aspirations.
In case you’re wondering, yes, this campaign uses real feet. There is No CGI or digital trickery, just practical effects and skilled movement.
“On our first chat with Jen (the director), she showed us a video she had made of her own foot filmed upside down. It made us laugh and worked well, so we knew that was the way to do it,” says Field.
Rehearsals were key in bringing the foot characters to life. “We held rehearsals to unlock the relationship between the foot cast and its counterpart,” he adds. “By using real feet, each foot became a talented actor in its own right. They had the difficult job of carefully and precisely moving to match the dialogue spoken in real-time.”
This approach gives the campaign a raw, tangible quality that stands out in a digital world where special effects are often overused. It also ensures the humour lands just right, making the conversations between people and their own feet all the more unexpected and entertaining.
Beyond the films, LinkedIn is extending the campaign’s reach through a social-first approach, partnering with five influential Top Voices on the platform: Elfried Samba, Charlotte Mair, Oliver Yonchev, Ndubuisi Uchea, and Molly Johnson-Jones. Each influencer will share their own “itchy feet” moments, encouraging audiences to reflect on their own career journeys.
To further drive engagement, LinkedIn is also launching a competition where users can share their own “itchy feet” career moments for a chance to win a pair of LinkedIn-branded socks. What better way to embrace the theme?
In today’s job market, where young professionals are constantly weighing their options, Got Itchy Feet? feels like a timely and well-executed campaign. It taps into universal career anxieties, presents them in a fresh and humorous way, and—most importantly—offers a simple solution in the form of LinkedIn’s job collections.
VCCP creative director Matt Lloyd puts it this way: “We needed something that would immediately grab attention. The idea of a colourful-socked foot being the owner’s inner monologue felt like a fresh, surprising take—one that was both funny and informative.”
The campaign is now live across LinkedIn, Meta, and YouTube, with additional influencer and social activations managed by SocialChain.