Calgary’s SAIT Polytechnic is using the elderly to recruit the young in its new student recruitment campaign.

The humorous “Further Your Passion” campaign features people in their 90s who have continued working into old age because they have a passion for what they do.

One print ad shows a white-haired lady working on a massive computer server, while a radio spot features two elderly sounding ladies discussing the hot new 78-year-old software developer, saying “I just love those silver-haired young ’uns.”

Print materials and radio spots include the tag line “Get a career you’ll never want to leave. Further your passion.”

Joe Hospodarec, creative director of Calgary’s Wax, which created the campaign for the post-secondary institution, said the agency chose elderly spokespersons to stand out from other colleges and universities. “Every educational institution uses smiley, happy young people interacting on campus to the point where it’s wallpaper now,” he said.

SAIT marketing director Viola Medigs said on-campus research showed that unlike university students, who often don’t have defined career goals when they enter first year, students who attend SAIT have clear career goals and a passion for their choice.

“Wax came up with a very fun and dynamic way to showcase that, and the campaign tested well on our 18 to 25 demographic focus groups, who just loved it.”

The campaign, which launched Feb. 9, includes print, outdoor, online and radio, and runs in Calgary and area until the end of March.