Mawave and Lidl launch a viral hit with their employer branding mockumentary

Lidl Germany is becoming visible and approachable as an employer brand on social media, thanks to Mawave's social-first expertise. The social media outcomes agency has developed a new employer branding campaign together with the retailer. Instead of using classic employer branding clichés, the company is focusing on subtle messaging within an entertainment format: the 8-part mockumentary series Filialhelden has been running on the retailer's career channels on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts since the beginning of August.

The series brings the everyday work life at Lidl to social feeds with a sense of humor. The storytelling centers on a marketing colleague from headquarters who teams up with store staff to boost social media engagement. The unique aspect: almost all the actors are actual Lidl employees, making the insights feel particularly authentic and credible. This includes store manager Kevin Kublik, who already inspires over 900,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok with content from the world of Lidl.

“We wanted to create a series that is close to the people who work at Lidl,” says Jason Modemann, CEO of Mawave. “It was wonderful to see how much passion the employees brought to the camera. It is precisely this honest motivation and the humor of everyone involved that makes Filialhelden so special and ultimately strengthens the employer brand in a credible way.”

The mockumentary taps into the trend of ironic documentaries like “The Office” or “Superstore,” offering an entertaining look at the employees' daily work life. The community response has been overwhelming: with over 6.5 million views, 450 comments, 35,000 likes, and numerous calls for more, the series is currently generating a major social media buzz around Lidl, proving that authentic content and employer branding can go hand in hand.

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