The Catalyst: Amazon’s rapid global expansion created an urgent, continuous demand for highly skilled web developers and software engineers. To cut through the noise of traditional recruiting, Amazon needed a unique approach to attract top-tier talent to a national series of hackathon hiring events.

The Strategy: The campaign required a powerful hook that resonated deeply with the developer community—the nostalgic 8-bit design was leveraged to honor early programming roots while inspiring the next generation of problem solvers. To scale this initiative efficiently, a flexible, repeatable ecosystem was developed. The strategy relied on modular design templates and assets that Amazon recruiters and non-designers could easily mix, match, and deploy across various regions.

Art Director/Designer: Mackenzie Schmitt
Copywriter: Kathleen Goodwin
Creative Director: Adam Pryor
Agency: Manifesto