The world of advertising invites schools and colleges across the UK to participate in the largest industry-wide “Open Day” on Thursday, 12 November 2026.
Welcome to Advertising Unlocked
An initiative from Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, Advertising Unlocked throws open the doors to the advertising industry giving students a real, behind-the-scenes look at one of the UK’s most creative and fast-moving sectors.
On Thursday 12 November 2026, agencies across UK will welcome schools and colleges for a day designed to inspire and inform the next generation of talent.
Sign up as an agency Sign up as a school/college
A backstage pass to the industry
Advertising Unlocked is a nationwide open day where students can experience what it’s really like to work in advertising. From creative studios to strategy teams, production suites to tech development, students will discover the breadth of careers available and the many different paths into them.
Across the day, agencies offer:
- Hands-on workshops
- Interactive talks and Q&As
- Office tours
- Creative and problem-solving challenges
- Insights into real campaigns and briefs
It’s a unique opportunity to bring the world of work to life and help young people see how their interests and skills could translate into a future career.
There’s a place for every kind of mind
Whether students dream in pixels, words, pantones or code, advertising needs their imagination.. We’re actively looking for people from all walks of life, all backgrounds and all educational routes, including those with interests in:
- Technology and coding
- Creativity and design
- Writing and storytelling
- Data, strategy and problem-solving
Advertising thrives on diverse perspectives and the industry is committed to building a workforce that truly reflects the world we speak to.
Why take part?
By signing up, your school or college will:
- Give students real exposure to a modern, future-facing industry
- Help them understand the wide range of career pathways available
- Connect learning to real-world skills and opportunities
- Inspire confidence and ambition
Part of our commitment to future talent
Advertising Unlocked sits at the heart of one of the IPA missions to recruit, develop and retain the talent that powers our industry. We are proud to be the force behind the practitioners supporting an industry that is creative, innovative and open to everyone.
Watch highlights from Advertising Unlocked
Hear about the experiences from some of the agencies and schools/colleges involved below.
Despite [student] being a bit unsure about going to [an agency], he came back raving about his experience!! He really enjoyed it, and now wants to work in advertising...so a great success. Thank you so much for organising it and giving pupils the opportunity.
How it works
After you apply, we will match agencies with schools/colleges – all the agency needs to do is prepare for the students' arrival and the school will bring a group of students on the day. The agenda, timings and structure of the day are to be decided between agency and school, providing the ultimate flexibility and oversight you need to put on a fantastic event for everyone involved.
Matching is conducted based on availability, the number of students the agency can host, and the location of the school/ college to the agency. This means we might not be able to provide a match.
Activities at agencies around the country include:
- Working on real creative briefs and pitching their ideas to agency staff
- Developing social and experiential ideas into a fully-fledged ad
- Hearing from current employees in the ad industry and their career journeys
- Learning practical advice about getting into the industry through CV-building workshops and talks about agency internship programmes
The Advertising Unlocked team will provide you with resources and material to help with planning, creating an agenda, and next steps.
Have a question about Advertising Unlocked? Please check the Advertising Unlocked FAQs - and if your question hasn't been answered, please email [email protected].
Last updated 27 February 2026