CommonFloor spoofs horror flick, promises freedom from ‘deadly’ house hunts

Real estate portal CommonFloor.com has launched a marketing campaign with the tagline ‘No Darr. Find Ghar’ (Find a home without fear). The campaign, which includes a TV commercial, has been conceptualised by JWT India.

The film follows on the lines of a horror flick – titled ‘Naye ghar ki talaash’. It features a young couple driving at night to see a secluded house. The eerie elements spook the couple, and suggest that the house is haunted. They realise this when they spot a picture of the ‘watchman’ who let them in on the wall, a garland indicating that he has passed away. The ‘watchman’ takes the form of a ghost and moves towards them menacingly. The voice over says, “Ek aisi duniya jahan apne sapnon ka ghar doondna bhayanak ho saktha hai. Lekin CommonFloor.com sab kuch badalne wala hai” (It’s a world where finding the house of your dreams can be dreadful. But CommonFloor.com is going to change all that now). The male protagonist flashes the CommonFloor app from his mobile onto the ‘ghost’, vanquishing it. The mobile app is introduced.

The TVC went on air on 4 August. The campaign will straddle print, outdoor, digital, cinema and radio.

Sumit Jain, co-founder and CEO, CommonFloor.com, said, “This is a major milestone in our journey. As a company we have come this far without a large scale marketing push, so I can only imagine how inspiring our growth trajectory will be with a campaign of this magnitude. This endeavour is the work of some of the brightest and most sought after talent in the industry. I am thus certain that this will take our organisation to the next level”.

Vinayak Warke, VP - marketing, CommonFloor.com, added, “We are very excited to launch our first TVC. At CommonFloor.com, our focus has always been on empowering people to realise their property dreams. The objective of this campaign is to highlight the problems faced by property seekers and how CommonFloor.com addresses this through a fearless and informative experience, leading the user to an easy and effective property decision.”

He explained that the campaign focuses on increasing brand awareness while showcasing the mobile app.

Senthil Kumar, NCD, JWT India, said, “The creative Idea of ‘House Haunting’ versus ‘House Hunting’ leaps straight from the consumer insight that finding a dream house can become a nightmare. We translated this insight literally in form of a very comic 80’s Indian horror movie flick narrative that makes the spot something you'll surely watch out for.”

He added, “The execution is true to the 80’s Indian horror film style that will make every viewer laugh out loud. I am also sure that when it comes to house hunting, it will make viewers remember India's biggest and most trusted online real estate portal CommonFloor.com.”