Leave it to Jersey Shore to charm summer workers with poo jokes.
Morey’s Piers, the coastal theme park on the boardwalks of Wildwood, has unveiled a fierce new marketing campaign about the foolishness of scavenged seagulls as it seeks to hire 800 seasonal attractions staffers this year.
Led by the sly Sunny the Seagull, the campaign features billboards, online marketing, and even white bird poop stickers handed out to existing employees for placement on car windshields, store windows, and other locations that might inspire potential employees to fill out applications.
“We have just been informed that there is a large flock of seagulls flying in our immediate vicinity,” Morey Pierce employees were told in an email. ‘As a result, there have been a number of vehicles parked in Midtown and Poplar lots are ‘affected.’ Feel free to remove the “patches”, but don’t throw them away! The “patches” are reusable and can be applied to the windshield of the car parked next to you at a grocery store, at your child’s school or sporting event, on your neighbor’s driveway, etc.
When peeled off, the stickers reveal QR codes that can be scanned to link to the company’s application page.
The billboards have cheeky slogans that use seagull “sprinklers” to refer to another word for poop that fits better with the sayings.
The recruitment campaign was designed by local advertising agency One Trick Pony, whose other clients include Virgin Hotels, Hard Rock Cafe and Turner Classic Media.
“Normally, a recruitment campaign wouldn’t be the most creative thing you’d work on — but Maury’s not your typical client, and neither are their summer jobs,” said Rob Reid of One Trick Pony, who helped develop the theme. “The campaign puts a playful spin on the benefits of working on the docks and does it in a way that demands your attention…and your smile.”
Morey Pierce usually employs about 1,500 workers in the summer months. The jobs available now are for ride operators, lifeguards, game operators and staff for perks and admission. Seasonal employees can earn up to $16 an hour. Other perks include free use of amusement park rides and water parks, discount cards for friends and family and discounts on food and beverages.
Those wishing to apply must be at least 14 years old. Young workers ages 14 to 17 will earn $13 to $14 an hour, with the opportunity to receive an additional $1 an hour as a performance payment. Those 18 or older will earn $15 an hour with the same $1 an hour added for performance.
“There’s a lot of competition for employees,” said Dennis Bixon, vice president of human resources at Morris Pearse, of the campaign. “Our work environment is unique and fun, we want to highlight this in our advertising campaign. It sets our jobs apart from all the other ‘help wanted’ and ‘hiring now’ messages.”
Wildwood seagulls are sometimes threatened. A few years ago, someone grabbed a 13-year-old girl in the face on a SpingShot cruise in Morey’s Marina. who do you know Perhaps she is ready to join the world of work on her first job, with a new way of speaking.