Deutsch launched a new campaign for Zillow, celebrating “Home” and exploring what it means to different people.
The campaign allegedly employs real homeowners rather than actors, aiming for authentic emotion and areal look at differing definitions of home. In the 30-second “Gunnar’s Home,” for example, a single father describes life at home with his four girls. Describing it as “not your standard family situation,” he explains that he’s learned to accept that his toenails and fingernails will constantly be painted. Another emotional spot takes a look at a cancer survivor who sees home as a refuge where she could finally “take everything off and just be me.” Many of the ads strike an emotional chord like this, such as “Reggie’s Home,” in which a man explains that he grew up with a family of 14 in a four-bedroom apartment in Boston and is now the first child in his family to own his own home. That spot speaks more to the services offered by Zillow than certain others, as does “Glenn’s Home,” in which a man describes fulfilling his dream of owning waterfront property. The campaign has a full docket of such stories, with three broadcast spots debuting today and another nine running before the end of the summer, each ending with the tagline, “Whatever home means to you, we’ll help you find it.”
Zillow chief marketing officer Jeremy Wacksman told AdAge that the initial spots will focus on the meaning of home, while later efforts in the campaign will take a closer look at the home-buying process. “Everyone’s story is unique, and [buying a home] is a big, scary decision,” he said. “We interviewed dozens of people who had used Zillow or hadn’t and talked to them about what home means to them. We were inspired to tell those stories.”