During a conference in Las Vegas, Century 21 premiered “Color of Happiness,” the sequel to the franchisor’s 2024 hit commercial.
Almost two years after “The Joy of Home,” Century 21 continues with another feel-good marketing campaign centered around the franchisor’s trademark golden yard sign. The brand said that more than just eye-catching, the golden hue represents C21’s commitment to excellence and the joy of guiding homebuyers and sellers through one of life’s most important moments.
The “Joy of Home” marketing strategy was key to launching C21’s three-year partnership with Major League Soccer, generating more than 75 million media impressions for the franchisor through in-stadium signage, broadcast and streaming exposure. The 60-minute spot was also well-received by consumers, with independent research revealing that 80% of buyers and sellers are more likely to hire a C21 agent after seeing the ad.
Tori Keihinger
“Last year, we established joy as an emotional domain,” Tori Keihinger, C21 vice president and head of marketing, said in a prepared statement. “This year, we’re driving this campaign in a more consumer-centric way. As we worked with advertising agencies and spoke to consumers, we found that our gold yard sign posts are considered iconic and align very closely with our brand. So even without our signage, just the gold post alone caused people to immediately associate that color with the Century 21 brand.”
“Our ‘Legacy Gold’ is more than just a brand color, it’s a signal,” she added. “This marks the beginning of the home buying or selling journey and represents the joy our agents deliver every day. This campaign pays homage to where we’ve been while presenting it to today’s consumers in a modern and meaningful way.”
In an interview with Inman, Keihinger reflected on the “Joy of Home” campaign, saying it speaks to consumer resilience during one of the toughest markets in recent history.
He said many of the headwinds that exist in October 2024 remain, along with new macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges. But C21 remains focused on showing the power of experienced agents and how housing can accentuate life’s many important milestones, including a new job, marriage, starting a family and retirement, she said.
“I think when people think about real estate, they probably think in rational terms about the headwinds that our industry may be facing. But when they think about home, they think about the moments of joy that they experience with their families,” she said. “They think about the tiny little moments that are part of the fabric in between, and our Century 21 agents deliver that homegrown joy to consumers.”
“So we want to shine a spotlight on the bright side of real estate that is always there no matter what the market does and that we have always represented, because ultimately that is what housing is all about,” she added. “We’ve seen all types of markets for over 50 years, and I think that’s what people want. They want optimism. They want to be reminded of what their home represents.”
The new commercial, dubbed “Color of Happiness,” will be a keystone of the franchisor’s One21 Experience in Las Vegas this week. Attendees got an exclusive first look at the commercial, which featured a glimpse of revamped traditional goldyard signage and panels, and a suite of customizable digital and print marketing assets.
“The stage itself is shaped like a giant yard sign with screens as panels. [was] “We have a lot of fun and different activities at this event that really bring to life the joy of our brand, the joy of home,” Keihinger said. This means our network has the opportunity to see, feel and experience what we know and what we bring to consumers from every corner of the world. ”
CMO said C21 is excited to enter its second year of partnership with Major League Soccer and strengthen its connection to the league’s 11.2 million fans.
“We’re really reaching the next generation of homebuyers and sellers,” she said. “in fact, [Major League Soccer] recently published a report on its Vision Insights decoder, stating that its fan base is 1.7x more likely. [the general population] We plan to purchase a new home within the next six months. ”
“Seeing the brand and campaign come to life through that partnership has given us exposure to so many different formats, whether it’s getting that visibility inside the arena and in front of the fans, whether it’s through the halo effect of digital streaming, or hosting over 1,000 members of the Century 21 Network at games throughout the season,” she added. “So this really gave us an opportunity to continue to grow our brand awareness, but it was also an opportunity to deepen our connection with our brand.”
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