AGGREGATE RESOURCE INDUSTRIES
GRIT WANTED: RECRUITMENT THROUGH AUTHENTICITY
GRIT WANTED: ARI RECRUITMENT / RETENTION VIDEO
ARI is a leader in the blast contracting and drilling industry in the western United States. Their Blast Crews oversee large detonations at quarries, construction sites and more. However, blowing stuff up is harder than it seems. The job requires intelligence and keen attention to detail, and ARI needs teams that are small, nimble, and efficient.
Attract top-tier recruits and improve employee retention for Aggregate Resource Industries (ARI) by celebrating the great work of their employees.
Challenge:
Solution:
We wanted to understand a week in the life of an ARI Blaster, so we embedded with a Blast Crew to learn who they were and what they do. Having boots-on-the-ground revealed the human facets of who a Blaster really is: a gritty outdoors person, an adrenaline junkie with a sharp eye for detail, and most of all, someone who really likes to have fun.
For the “Grit Wanted” campaign, we took aim at reminding the Blasters of how good they are at their jobs and illustrating how awe-inspiring their work can be to an outsider. To achieve this, we created a short film that depicted the sheer grit required to be a Blaster – from the long hours of challenging work to the toughness that you could see etched into their knuckles. We also highlighted the fun side (which was easy to find) – flying to and from blast sites on company private jets, detonating massive amounts of explosives, and seizing opportunities to cut loose, such as when a Blast Crew recreated the music video for “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats.
These folks knew how to be safe, work hard, have fun, and ultimately, blow some sh*t up! Who doesn’t want to be part of that team?
Results:
Not only did our campaign help fire up the people we filmed with, it drew the attention of potential hires in a more intentional way than ever before. We didn’t turn the Blasters into caricatures for an ad, we simply leaned into showcasing exactly what they do and who they are through the lens of an outsider. We appreciated them for who they are, and challenged others to join the Blast Crew if they had what it takes: Grit Wanted.
“
joyful unlocks the pride in my workforce in a way I didn’t think was possible and does it in a beautifully creative way.
~ Katie Jeremiah
CEO, Aggregate Resource Industries, Inc.