We turned the “Battle for Brains” into the “Battle of Brains”. Our core idea: an arcade-inspired quiz to make employer branding playful and fun.

Most companies emphasize innovation in their employer branding campaigns. But only few actually prove it, leading to skepticism among our elusive audience. That’s why we wanted to create an engaging and rewarding personal experience that would really bring to life the innovative spirit of Evonik Industries.

And what is more engaging than a chance to “humblebrag” about mad skills?

We designed a complex quiz for students to compete against each other in three knowledge areas and learn about Evonik along the way.

But we didn’t want it to be just a digital gimmick.

Inspired by conventional vending machines, we upcycled one of them, turning it into a gaming machine that hosted the quiz and became a gathering point for students to connect with others and Evonik.

The “Battle of Brains” machine was built from an original Wurlitzer snack machine, disassembled and equipped with new software and hardware, including a 4k screen and an illuminated display made of Evonik’s Plexiglas™.

Academics from various areas designed the questionnaire with more than 1,500 questions about technology, science and economics. Mastering all questions on time required equal adeptness in all fields.

Then the machine went on tour, visiting selected universities across Germany. A combination of social media, outdoor and student magazines was used to announce its arrival on campus.

On two tablets used as controllers, students competed against each other for highly coveted prizes like Beats headphones. A landing page with real-time leaderboards enabled contestants to follow the scores and to compete with students from other universities. The 10 best of the best would score an extra prize: an exclusive invite to the Evonik Student Network Day.

The “Battle of Brains” machine became the talking point on each campus where it was set up. It pushed our audience’s perception of Evonik as an innovative employer by 5% and increased their interest in the company as potential future employer by 15%.

Compared to a classic employer branding campaign the “Battle of Brains” had a 270% higher impact on people’s perception! And it has proven to our audience: Evonik is one of the most innovative and creative companies in Germany, constantly seeking high potentials hungry for challenge and thinking outside the box.