Homewood hopes a new advertising campaign launching this spring works like a video game cheat code in luring Chicagoans considering a move to the suburbs.
Starting March 2 and until May 1, posters featuring 1990s computer-game-style graphics will run on the CTA blue and pink line trains as well as on train platforms. The village hopes to encourage nostalgic young professionals to “level up” to Homewood.
“We wanted to showcase Homewood’s fun side with this new campaign,” Village Marketing Director Jennifer Quirke said in a press release. “And what’s more fun than playing retro video games? We have an extraordinary community that is artistic, quirky and unique. We feel these ads really capture that spirit. Plus there are some ‘Easter eggs’ for Homewood residents to enjoy.”
The ads highlight the schools, parks, nightlife, walkability and affordability of the village. The graphics include signs like “Power up: No traffic gridlock,” “Unlocked: Affordable child care” and “Bonus: Lower cost of living.”
Homewood worked with Charles Riffenburg of Grab Bag Media to create the video game artwork. The total budget for the project was $10,000.
The campaign is the latest installment of “Think Homewood,” an annual attempt to woo city-dwelling millennials to the village. Last year’s ads featured a series of animated graphics designed to look like puzzle pieces that were shareable over social media.
In 2018, there was a comic book theme in which characters discussed the benefits of Homewood with a snarky tone. That campaign was paired with a baseball-themed advertising campaign featuring village properties that was aimed at developers.
More information is available at www.thinkhomewood.com.