Tomorrow comes today: Gorillaz help Jaguar recruit coders

Car manufacturers need coders quick, apparently. Who knew?

With over a million lines of code in the latest Jaguars, they're now looking for code wizards in an innovative new way.

Everyone's favourite virtual musicians, Gorillaz are not who you would expect to head up a recruitment drive for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). Yet, after signing the band's guitarist Noodle to be the their ambassador last year, the company is leaping headfirst into a mad digital world.

Gorillaz have always existed in an array of clever VR/AR worlds, and JLR will be making a visit to their realm and they're bringing a set of challenges to separate the coders from the scrubs.

JLR say they are looking for 5,000 recruits this year in an effort to keep up with the demands of the automotive industry, says head of electrical engineer Alex Heslop.

"As the automotive industry transforms over the next decade, fuelled by software innovation, we have to attract the best talent and that requires a radical rethink of how we recruit.

"Here we've found an engaging way to recruit a diverse talent pool in software systems, cyber systems, app development and graphics performance. It will be the first of its kind.

The Gorillaz App launched today featuring a 360 VR environment that places players in the garage of the band's home. Users can see the iconic vehicles from Gorillaz past and explore the challenges.

Players who manage to crack the code and succeed in solving the series of puzzles will see them become potential recruits for the auto giants.

Testing key desirable skills like curiosity, persistence, lateral thinking and problem solving in the guise of a game is a clever move for JLR. Screeds of couch-bound coders could have been wasting away, never knowing they could be hired by a car brand for being good at puzzles.

The team behind the tech of Gorillaz App, B-Reel London are excited to be able to work on a cutting edge mobile experience, says executive creative director Davor Krvavac.

"This exciting collaboration between Gorillaz and Jaguar Land Rover adds an Alternative Reality Game layer to what is already a cutting edge mixed reality mobile experience combining AR, VR and 360.

The app is available from the App Store and Google Play for those keen to test their wits and possibly score a job at JLR.