Coldwell Banker 'revives' founders with talking portraits

Coldwell Banker's latest ad campaign lets its founders do the talking -- at least through voiceovers that accompany still portraits of the company's deceased originators, Benjamin Arthur Banker and Colbert Coldwell.

The campaign features a series of video ads with dialog between the founders' portraits. Perhaps following the lead of lawn gnome vacation photos, Coldwell Banker is taking these portraits on the road as part of the campaign -- the company unveiled some images of the portraits on a San Francisco cable car, at a rodeo, and at the Grand Canyon, as examples (see image).

The ads feature some chitchatty conversations between the company founders' portraits, such as mention of the 1947 company Christmas party or engaging in staring contests.

Some media folks who got a sneak peak at the marketing campaign questioned why the ad campaign seems to bypass mention of the current state of the housing market. Charlie Young, Coldwell Banker chief operating officer, explained that local housing markets vary widely, and some markets are faring much better than others. "We looked past the current situation in the real estate market, and what the press and the national media is propagating, and looked more at what consumer needs are," he said.

The lips on the founders' portraits do not move, and there are no plans to turn the founders into animated mascots, Young said, adding that the intent is to "keep the integrity of the portraits as is."

A Web site accompanies the "Portraits" campaign, at www.coldwellbanker.com/founders.

The founders' portraits even appear at the Facebook social networking site -- not sure who is doing the "talking" for them there.

Young said company sales associates were engaged and supportive in the development of the campaign. Wondering how Advertising Age might react, given the scathing review of the latest series of National Association of Realtors ads (see related Inman Blog post).

Bill Banker, grandson of Benjamin Arthur Banker and senior vice president of Cornish & Carey Commercial real estate, said he did have an opportunity to preview the Coldwell Banker campaign and said it's "sort of a unique approach."

Here's a commentary from Inman's Joel Burslem on the campaign at his Future of Real Estate Marketing blog site.

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