Photo by ShellyS
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has introduced a new national advertising campaign — a modern-day remake of the Mother Goose fable, “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.” The story is slightly different here, however: the old woman living in a shoe had so many children, she didn’t know what to do — so she came up with the idea to call a real estate agent to help her find a new home.
Getting over the hurdle
In a strong accent, the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe says: “My old house was a little bit small, but here — lots of space. My realtor a-listened to a-whatta was important to me – like schools in the area – and then he found us this place. I love it here, and so do my kids.” Consumers are then encouraged to check howrealtorshelp.ca and watch a series of spots featuring the experiences of those who have relied on the help of agents to buy or sell their homes.
It is created and produced using documentary techniques, with a cinéma-vérité style that includes hand-held camera, fast shots, and voiceover narration. CREA did not want to hammer viewers with another boring campaign praising the benefits of real estate agents, opting instead to rely on a light-hearted, humorous approach with the commercial, while still emphasizing the message that real estate agents work closely with customers to meet their needs and provide much-needed extra value to transactions.
Since 2006, the CREA has launched new advertising campaigns twice a year. This year, the main idea of the spring campaign is to show how agents can help buyers and sellers through a transaction, whatever their requirements.
