Inman

Yet another perk of homeownership: catch in the backyard

There are the rational arguments for homeownership, and there are the emotional ones.

When you own, nobody can tell you how big your dog can be — or that you can’t have one.  You want to play catch with your kid? Just step into the backyard.

For the past few years, Realogy franchisor Coldwell Banker has been promoting its brand by telling stories “about the moments and memories that make a house a home.”

There’s the “Home’s Best Friend” TV spot that debuted last month during the Academy Awards, in which homeowners are greeted by their dogs when they walk in the door.

Now Coldwell Banker will capitalize on its fourth year of sponsoring ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” by debuting an ad in which “only a few things matter; two people, their mitts, a baseball and a backyard.”

That’s how Don Draper might pitch it, but the “Catch” spot was actually dreamed up by the franchisors’ national ad agency, Siltanen & Partners, the same bunch responsible for “Home’s Best Friend.”


“Catch” begins with a father’s memories of playing catch with his dad.

After debuting on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight,” “Catch” will air on other national networks including A&E, AMC, Comcast SportsNet and NBC.

Although TV seemed destined for a time to take a back seat to social media and other new marketing channels, some of the biggest names in real estate have returned to television with a vengeance, with Century 21, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Re/Max and Redfin all using the medium to build brand.

A recent forecast by Borrell Associates projects spending on online advertising by real estate agents and brokers will actually decline by 2 percent this year, to $10.5 billion, in part because so much money is being funneled into television and cable advertising campaigns.

Email Matt Carter.