The National Association of Realtors is no stranger to advertising and unorthodox marketing methods, but the trade group took things one step further last week with perhaps America’s most famous Realtor – Phil Dunphy of ABC’s “Modern Family.”
In last week’s episode, Phil’s Realtor skills saved the day and in the process, he managed to educate a property owner (and viewers) on the difference between a “real estate agent” and a “Realtor.” Watch the scene here:
According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the whole integration idea originated last year from NAR’s media agency, Havas Media. Although NAR paid an “integration fee” to ABC for the placement, the financial terms of the arrangement are not being disclosed.
The integration, though, is hardly limited to that episode; additionally, the Phil Dunphy character will be featured in a “Phil’s-osophies” campaign, where Phil will spout the perks of being a Realtor across commercials, online video and other digital content.
“We have to look for better, more creative ways for organizations, brands and businesses to get their messages in front of consumers,” said Greg James, chief strategy and development officer at Havas Media, in the Journal article. “We’re in a place where people can easily reject advertising messages.”