Talent Marketing
Pilot Recruitment
With so many pilots retiring during the pandemic, American needed to ensure a future workforce by recruiting thousands of students to join its Cadet Academy.
We created this storytelling series to inspire future students, provide awareness and increase enrollment.
Project Title: Pilot Recruitment: Inspiring the Next Generation of Aviators
Objective: To address the pilot shortage caused by pandemic-era retirements, American Airlines launched a storytelling-driven recruitment campaign to inspire, educate, and recruit future pilots. This project focused on amplifying the Cadet Academy’s mission, increasing awareness, and driving enrollment by showcasing the personal journeys of aspiring aviators.
My Role:
On-Set Producer: Partnered with a local video production agency to oversee video shoots, ensuring the storytelling aligned with American Airlines’ brand and recruitment goals.
Interview Strategy: Conducted on-camera interviews, guiding subjects to deliver compelling, emotionally driven soundbites optimized for multi-platform use (social media, internal communications, and digital recruitment campaigns).
Storytelling Oversight: Ensured the video content resonated with young, aspiring pilots, reinforcing the Cadet Academy as an accessible gateway to an aviation career.
Collaboration & Creative Direction: Worked closely with video editors, recruiters, and marketing teams to ensure the final content aligned with both recruitment and brand objectives.
Challenges & Considerations:
Capturing Authenticity: Balanced brand messaging with real, unscripted personal stories to inspire and engage prospective pilots.
Multi-Platform Optimization: Ensured interviews and visuals were adaptable across social media, website content, and internal communications while maintaining consistency.
Outcome & Impact:
Increased Awareness – Expanded visibility for the Cadet Academy, inspiring a new wave of aspiring pilots to pursue aviation careers.
Engaging Content – Delivered high-quality video stories that resonated with students and aviation stakeholders, reinforcing the program’s brand identity and effectiveness.
Strategic Support for Recruitment – Strengthened the partnership between the creative team and the recruitment department, reinforcing the value of storytelling in talent marketing.