One of the more unexpected results of the Covid-19 pandemic is the upending of office working for many, and the fierce debates that have accompanied this change.

While flexible working was edging its way very slowly into our consciousness prior to Covid – egged on by technology supposedly offering the option for us to work from anywhere – this change has been turbo-charged in the past two years. What has been left in its wake is an awful lot of discussion about where businesses go from here.

Inserting itself into this conversation is HP, with a new ad campaign created by Wieden + Kennedy Portland, which plays on a stereotype of the stuffy old boss – dressed in a three-piece suit, natch – demanding a return to the old ways, while the workers around him highlight how flexible working has opened up their lives.

The spot does an excellent job at showing the pleasures of the hybrid life – allowing opportunities for sports, childcare and travel that would likely have been impossible in the 9-5 world – even if its humorous style ducks some of the challenges that businesses face now in building culture and community.

The campaign will run globally and HP offering itself up as the trusted brand for flexible workers is undoubtedly a shrewd positioning to take, regardless of where you may sit on the future of working debate. For if there’s one thing that all hybrid workers know by now, it’s that you really, really need the tech to work. Get that right, and you’re on to a winner.

Credits:
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Portland
ECDs: Ana Balarin, Hermeti Balarin, JP Petty
Creative Directors: Christen Brestrup, Bertie Scrase
Art Director: Alex Nassour
Copywriter: Alex Maleski
Production Company: O Positive
Director: Jim Jenkins