Think of every interaction with a client and prospective client as your 30-second commercial, Century 21’s Tori Keichinger writes. How will you break through?
As a marketing enthusiast, the Super Bowl is one of my favorite events of the year. Some watch for the football; I watch for the ads.
The game itself usually offers plenty of entertainment, but the ads interspersed throughout offer a unique look into today’s consumer psychology and how some of the biggest names in the marketing world are responding to consumer expectations.
This year, the pattern that resonated with me most was that the effective ads didn’t choose between radical innovation or a feeling of safe nostalgia; they blended both.
1. Innovation works best when it feels familiar
As I’m sure you noticed yourself, AI was a dominant theme in this year’s Super Bowl ad lineup, making up about 23 percent of all commercials, to be exact. While this emphasis on AI was impossible to miss, some ads certainly did a better job of showcasing it than others.
Some standouts that leaned into the juxtaposition of innovation and nostalgia using AI were Google Gemini’s spot, which used photos and memories to illustrate how AI can envision the future. Another was Ring, which showcased new technology through the emotional lens of families reuniting with their missing pets.
Outside the tech industry, Cadillac evoked memories of the moon landing to mark the entrance of its legacy brand into the growing Formula 1 space.
Across all of these ads, the general strategy was the same: Introduce something new through the lens of something people already trust.
One of my favorite Super Bowl marketing resources, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review, drew a similar conclusion, noting that the most effective Super Bowl ads delivered emotional or humorous impact while clearly conveying the utility of their products. In other words, feelings weren’t enough on their own; audiences needed to see why a product or idea mattered.
2. Design technology to support the human experience
The Super Bowl serves as a reminder that technology, innovation and adoption require trust. The technology you want to implement needs to support, not replace, the human experience. Yes, you should utilize AI and other automated systems to work more efficiently and provide enhanced services, but you can’t do so at the expense of empathy, human judgment and personal connection.
That message is even more important as we enter a “new” market with rising inventory, lowered mortgage rates and price gains either slowing or dropping locally. Consumers need to trust you. They need to trust your process and use of technology, but they also want and need the one-to-one conversations and hands-on education as you guide them through the process.
I also think we can consider a new listing as a new product. As we saw in this year’s ad lineup, a new product won’t resonate with consumers just because it’s the latest new thing. Consumers want something that feels intuitive, helpful and aligned with what they already know.
In real estate, what consumers already know is the comfort of home. Don’t forget to position your listings through the lens of the experience, not just the features!
3. Marry familiarity with new features and amenities
Similar to how Dunkin utilized the biggest faces of the 90s to push their newest marketing campaign, real estate professionals can tap into what they know their audience is already familiar with to get their new messaging across.
Are you promoting listings with 90s-like open floor plans, original hardwood flooring, built-ins or other pieces of timeless craftsmanship? Each of these amenities represents an easy opportunity for you to leverage a classic symbol of the comfort of home, while blending it with more modern home features like home offices, spas and gyms.
As I watched the Super Bowl, it was impossible for me not think of our Century 21 “Joy of Home” campaign. We honor the heritage of our brand and what home means to people while showcasing how our agents can help consumers navigate the buying and selling process in a modern way.
4. Find the balance between emotion and utility
Marketing efforts will fail if you lean too far in one direction. If you’re overly emotional, your message may not be clear or offer tangible value. If you lean too heavily on technological innovation (or let AI completely write it for you) as your selling point, your message may feel inauthentic or cold.
If you can strike the perfect balance between pairing modern tools with human experience, you’ll be well-positioned to earn trust with evolving audiences.
5. Understand the attention economy
I have one last thing to point out about the Super Bowl ads. It is the single most important advertising moment of the year because it breaks through the clutter of life, reaching 125 million viewers. Every one of these advertisers has 30 seconds to 1 minute to grab our attention. Some use humor, symbolism like Budweiser with the Clydesdale and eagle, or other ways of storytelling or varied production values.
Let’s learn from this, too. How are you breaking through? What are you best at? What personality trait allows you to succeed? What is your style? Think of every interaction with a client and prospective client as your 30-second commercial. How will you break through?
Tori Keichinger is vice president and head of marketing for Century 21. Connect with her on LinkedIn.