• by Tanya Gazdik , April 3, 2017

Realtor.com is launching a humorous campaign that features actress Elizabeth Banks, who returns for the third year as the brand’s spokesperson.

Themed “Own Home,” it includes TV ads, interactive digital video experiences and social integrations. Creative humorously demonstrates the struggle of searching for a home without realtor.com and missing out on the home of your dreams by featuring “not-yous.” A “not-you” is a person who likes what you like and wants what you want, and in the case of home buying, want the same house as you.

“This campaign is bigger and broader than any we have launched previously and our planned investment to put it out in the world is also larger than in the past,” Andrew Strickman, realtor.com head of brand and chief creative, tells “Marketing Daily.” “The range of digital content, on top of TV, and now also including radio and podcasts means that we will reach more consumers, more frequently, in more places, than ever before.”

The spots feature Banks celebrating with users who recently moved into their perfect home, while similarly attired “not-yous” appear through the stories, frustrated by what could have been.

Banks resonates with audiences because she has great creative to support her and, more importantly, she’s incredibly relatable — both to Gen X and Boomers who’ve embraced her throughout her career, but also to Millennials who know her from the “Pitch Perfect” and “Hunger Games: franchises, Strickman says. 

“We’ve been thrilled by our partnership with Elizabeth Banks since she was on set the very first time,” he says. “She’s the consummate professional who not only has amazing comedic chops and creative input but also understands what it’s like behind the camera, which makes her much easier to direct — because she respects the process. She always looks amazing on screen, but yet still has the friendly appeal of a best friend.” 

Created by Pereira & O'Dell New York, the campaign features six TV spots. The brand also will debut an interactive digital video series offering a cathartic release for “not-yous” feeling frustrated, depressed, mad or annoyed for having lost their dream home. Banks will scream into a pillow, seek solace in cute animals, sing a sad song poorly and more to help people move on after missing out on the home of their dreams. In addition, the campaign will expand to Facebook and Instagram, with a twist on the traditional housewarming gift. Users can congratulate new homeowners with humorous “welcome to the neighborhood” gifs of Banks. 

The TV campaign debuts this week with a 60-second launch spot on CBS and HGTV.  It will run across major broadcast networks and cable channels, including Bravo, DIY, TBS, TNT, USA and others. The social executions will begin to rollout in May with the digital video series featuring Banks going live in July.

“Every time we develop a new campaign, our goal is to build upon the success and learning from every past campaign,” Strickman says. “The big ‘aha’ moment for us this year was the concept of the ‘not-yous’ and how relevant and understandable it could be to people searching for a home — you’re not the only one looking for the home of your dreams, and you need a competitive advantage.”

The profile of homebuyers in this country has changed rather dramatically over the last few years, with Millennials making up more than 35%, which is the largest segment, of buyers in 2016, he says.

“We built this campaign not only with that group, who tend to be first-time homebuyers in mind, but also the wider range of buyers who stretch up to retirement,” Strickman says.