Zoopla has launched a new advertising campaign, featuring hermit crabs with homes depicted on their shells.
It is ZPG’s most expensive campaign yet, described as the “biggest ever investment for Zoopla”.
The adverts depict the crabs as home movers discussing property.
The first 60-second TV advert in a campaign which Zoopla hopes will have longevity was due to go out yesterday during Coronation Street and Broadchurch.
The first advert – immediately below – introduced all the hermit crab characters who will subsequently appear throughout the year.
The link immediately below that shows just what went into the making of the series.
The new creative is expected to reach 94% of ABC1 adults in the UK, and on average they will see the advert ten times across the life of the campaign, which also features outdoor, cinema and digital adverts.
Gareth Helm, chief marketing officer at Zoopla, said: “The launch of our new campaign and the use of hermit crabs, who themselves are moving experts, provides an ideal platform to talk more about the evolution of Zoopla.
“We expect our advertising to have reached over half the UK population in the first week of the campaign and will have communicated to this audience how Zoopla helps consumers to make smarter choices when it comes to moving and finding a home.
“This above-the-line activity is the biggest ever investment for Zoopla and has been designed to deliver even more enquiries and exposure for our members.”
Possibly they will be seen as being between a rock and a hard place! Will it make people use Zoopla more? We hope so.
OTM may only dream about this type of marketing budget!
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One last hurrah! Never used Hoopla and never intend to. Roll on OTM – pretty please.
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I think they are crab.
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Clearly a sideways move!
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I’ve been saying they’ve got crabs for years
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Saw it last night in the midst of Broadchurch (well, who saw that one coming eh?).
No axe to grind with Zoopla but to my mind they have wasted their money. The only ‘hook’ in the muddled and unfunny dialogue is the repeated use of the word ‘Zoopla’. That’s just poor technique.
And if you really want the public to take animals and your message to their hearts in advertising use something soft and fluffy like a puppy or a meerkat, not creepy looking creatures with too many eyes/legs/claws (the crabs, not estate agents…). It’s a real turn-off.
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Be nice if OTM could come out of their shell and put some effort in some decent advertising. Not holding my breath.
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OTM just needs more agents on board – it is not time for the corporates to move over the OTM? There is then a chance to ditch Hoopla and take on Wrongmove.
Maybe if OTM abandon their one only portal rule it could be the making of them????
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It’s poorly produced and cost £mega, but a total waste of revenues from their customers.
Not sure I want my stock represented by crabs who at best move side ways when we are all trying to move forward!!!
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My background is direct response marketing.
From day one I was taught that if you are selling apples 1) make absolutely sure your target market knows you are advertising apples 2) make it simple to understand that nobody sells a juicier more crunchy apply than you do and 3) check that your ad passes tests 1 and 2 before you launch it.
This new Zoopla ad fails miserably on all three points … just like the ad with pigeons sitting on roofs, the one with the 4×4 on a country road and that other daft one with the three people in a room.
I have to admit, like it or not, PB’s commissery ad nails it … with the added advantage of a humorous twist which is both relevant and memorable.
Why don’t Z or RM do an ad that is directed at generating valuations from local estate agents advertising on their respective portals?
Straight into our good books with that one.
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Great point!
But I think we need to look at the media strategy rather than the ad itself to see what Zoopla is up to. (I’m not sure about the crabs…though the repeated use of the brand name leaves us in no doubt who the ad is for).
The huge audience reach, with most being achieved right up front at the start of the campaign would suggest that this isn’t a direct response campaign.
Rather, it’s a brand awareness job that aims to establish Zoopla as the first portal people think of, and so go to if they’re looking to buy, sell, rent, or let.
The fact that they’re after almost all ABC1s in the country means that some people who see it and remember it won’t be in market just now. But property is a ‘mass’ product, and so they are all likely to be potential category buyers at some point – so sustained awareness is a long-term effective play for growth, rather than a short-term efficiency play for sales.
(This is one of OTM’s challenges – they’re not on enough peoples’ minds when they’re looking for houses).
A frequency of 10 over the year would support this; just keeping awareness ticking over for when folk are interested.
In the end, this should drive more people to their site to see Agents’ own ads that should help them raise their own awareness and secure valuations.
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Nought to do with property or Hoopla but what do you think, if you have seen it of course, the new Samsung ad with the ostriches? Made me remember the advertiser first repeat I saw!
That’s the first part of the game! The second part is to know what the “advertiser, in this case, Samsung makes or is wanting to sell you”. Interested to hear your response AgentPink 92.
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It’s an interesting one…
I think the Samsung ad is a beautifuly shot, very lovely piece of uplifting story telling.
It taps into the two emotions that get videos shared most often: personal victories and happiness (with a bit of humour thrown in).
But there’s a ‘but.’
For me, at least, it risks not being well-branded enough. We’ve all had or overheard conversations about that great ad, you know the one with the dancing squirrels [insert animal of your choice here]… who’s it for?
If your potential customer remembers the story but not the brand you’re potentially just making a short film, rather than contributing to the business.
In defence of the Zoopla ad (not yet seen the 30 or 10 second versions) – and I’m not hugely sold on the over-involved “hermit crab being a master of moving” analogy – there’s plenty of brand name repetition, and attempts to link it the kinds of situations people who are moving find themselves in: wanting a nice neighbourhood / a better commute / a rock…
It’ll be interesting to see how both Zoopla and Samsung’s awareness rankings are effected…
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Yep, saw it tonight – I’m there in the room with the ‘ad guys’ and the Zoopla people / millionaires nodding along to it. Not one of the Zoopla lot cared enough to say no, its all a bit rubbish.
Jonnie
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Like the Hermit crab once you get past the protective scavenged exterior its all a bit of a soft mushy mess.
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