Adobe provides the technology to enable creativity and has earned a global reputation for creative collaboration.

Looking to enhance the brand mission of 'Creativity for All', we embarked on a campaign to “Love the Journey,” encouraging creative careers for the next generation of Adobe users.

But we knew there was a significant issue to address: only 4.4% of people in the creative industries are from minority backgrounds and our research that found 67% of students wouldn’t feel supported by their parents if they got a creative job. Why? Many parents still holding onto dreams of their sons and daughters becoming doctors, lawyers or accountants.

So, we set out to create a message of support. To unite aspiring creatives and caring parents alike and ignite a passion in the next generation of creators, helping them navigate the next stage of their journey.

We needed to find somebody inspiring that youngsters from minority backgrounds could see themselves in. But also someone their parents could listen and hopefully, learn from.

So we found the perfect person, with the perfect story and then built the campaign around it.

Rapper, actress, role-model… Little Simz and her Nigerian-born mother.

We asked Simz to pen a beautifully inspiring and heartfelt letter to her mum. Expressing her love and gratitude to her biggest fan for the “faith, care and space to dream” that allowed her to pursue a successful creative career. 'Imagine a world where every child receives the same open-minded parental support and encouragement'.

The two minute video became the centerpiece of a UK campaign that raised awareness of the little-known cultural barriers to creative professions and provided both inspiration and direction for young Brits looking to turn artistic passion into rewarding careers.

Every student is a work in progress. They’re still trying to figure out who they are and what they want to be. And they’re under intense pressure to make decisions that will shape their entire future. Add the pressure of pleasing parents who prefer traditional professions over artistic passions, and “Love the Journey” takes on a critical purpose.

In terms of “influencers,” parents are still number-one for many students. Our strategy was to embrace and empower parents from minority ethnic backgrounds rather than villainize them. And to educate and inspire them with the possibilities of a creative career for their own child.

Our original brand content would make both student and parent the hero: the true story of a young Brit who rose to creative acclaim with the unwavering support and sacrifice of her Nigerian born mother.

We created a heart-warming and inspiring, two-minute-long “Love the Journey” video, which was hosted on Adobe’s YouTube channel, the Love The Journey hub on Adobe’s homepage, Adobe.com and IG.

To extend the cultural relevance of the campaign, we partnered with seven influencers from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds with roles in the creative sector (Ron Timehin, Linda Blacker, David Fadd, Joey Yu, Hawwa Alam, and Fa and Fon Watkins). They all shared their career journeys, support systems, and inspiration on the same day we launched the Little Simz film.

Media interviews with Little Simz highlighted brand and campaign content. A partnership with internet media specialists Unilad extended social media channel engagement with British youth. Then, campaign links to the “Love the Journey” website provided resources in the form of real life case studies, creative career options, and a quiz offering custom career advice.

UK media coverage of Love the Journey increased relevant awareness and consideration for Adobe among Next Gen creators and generated more than 2 million impressions.

We landed coverage in entertainment and lifestyle media that young people actually read; Wonderland, Chapter Z, Glamour and Evening Standard Magazine.

1.4+ million impressions came from the Unilad partnership, resulting in 5.7k click throughs to Adobe campaign content. Impressions also met target goals (57% 18- to 24-year-olds, 51% female). And over 185k views on IG.

The 91,933 total organic reach for influencer content was a direct hit for our youth target. We reached an additional 2.4 million through 12 nationally syndicated radio interviews featuring Next Gen creative industry spokespeople sharing their own inspiring stories.

“I cannot express enough how special this campaign is to me - it’s for all the aspiring creatives out there who have a passion which makes them come alive.” Derin Adetosoye