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The double-length episode of Emmy Award-winning Disney+ family show Bluey, “The Sign,” brought in more than 10.4 million views and made plenty of them cry as the characters stressed about the decision to sell their house. While the Heelers eventually decided to stay put, real estate marketplace Zillow and Ryan Reynolds’ agency, Maximum Effort, used the moment to provide some reassurance that moving can be a good thing.
Narrated by Dan Brumm, who voices Uncle Stripe on the show, the 30-second film, produced by Really Original, provides a tour of a house packed with Bluey references, like a stuffed sea turtle from the “TurtleBoy” episode and a green balloon from the “Mum School” episode. It argues that while a home is filled with memories, moving can mean a fresh start and a new chapter. It ends with a group of four blue Heelers sitting next to a “for sale” sign.
“Like parents everywhere, we got emotional watching the recent Bluey season finale that followed the Heeler family as they navigated the difficult decision to sell their home,” Zillow senior vice president of marketing Ravi Kandikonda told ADWEEK. “We understand all those feelings; a home is so much more than four walls and a roof. Within days of the finale, we began working with Maximum Effort to produce this timely spot that would reassure families that moving doesn’t have to be so sad and it can, in fact, be wonderful.”
Zillow, Maximum Effort and Reynolds shared the film across social media. Zillow previously comforted families in 2021 by releasing The Girl Who Didn’t Want to Move, a children’s ebook produced in partnership with creative agency FIG. Zillow research found that 51% of parents cry at least once while selling their home.
“We all relate to the emotions involved in a move,” Zillow vp of brand and product marketing Beverly Jackson told ADWEEK. “Our homes are where we build our lives, raise our children and make our fondest memories. We also know that moving can be the start of something great. Zillow surveyed parents, and nearly one-half said watching their child thrive in a new place was among the most rewarding aspects of their most recent move, and an overwhelming majority said their move was worth it.”
