StreetEasy Keeps Branding Consistent Within Its Print Campaign
StreetEasy is a New York City-based real estate website that provides users with access to hundreds of apartment and home rental and sale listings across the five boroughs. It does so through its online interface and mobile app.
But the brand wanted to make its presence in the real estate world more prominent, so they took to the subway with a variety of exciting and compelling print designs.
StreetEasy’s “Find Your Place” campaign was geared towards New York City residents looking to find a new place to call home. It used map imagery and intuitive messaging to captivate audiences and compel them to use the brand to help them with their apartment search.
These print designs come in two forms — one is a map with specific sections highlighted, showing viewers of neighborhoods that they could live in paired with a clever message.
Others are made up of blocks of text, with certain words and phrases replaced with familiar icons you’d see on the StreetEasy site.
As a whole, these print designs really embody the playful, intuitive and helpful nature of the brand itself.
They incorporate elements that are embedded within the app and online interface to create a cohesive brand identity and user experience that is translated from the digital world into the real world.
The map imagery seen on these prints are in-depth and cartoonish — just like they look on the app and the website. This integration really drives home the point that StreetEasy knows New York City real estate, and that you can find exactly what you’re looking for with their help.
Similarly, the clever icons, highlighted bars of text and drop-down menu-esque images on these posters give users a taste of what their experience could be like. Print designers play a pivotal role in creating these clean and approachable designs that make it easy for viewers to interact and relate them to the in-app experience.
The clever check-marked boxes are identical to those found on the website, simultaneously showing the ease of use that the app promotes.
These print designs truly bring the branding of StreetEasy full circle, combining the playful tone the app is known for with the sophistication and authority the brand aims to promote — and it does so with imagery that creates a cohesive and engaging experience all around.
StreetEasy Incorporates Relatable Humor To Encourage Audience Engagement
In addition to the cohesive imagery that keeps branding consistent, the humor and messaging included in these print ads put the brand and its personality front and center.
These ads aim to provide users with a place they can call home. They do this with creative and cool check-marked imagery and drop-down menu options that add a sophistication and innovation that aligns the brand as a leader. But they also do it through humor. There’s a tongue-in-cheek quality to these clever designs.
In some, there’s a map being used with two, overlapping areas highlighted. Both are areas the viewer wants to be near, and the middle is where their perfect place is.
And these messages are hilarious — they talk about running and bagels, being far enough from your parents, finding an in-between based on roommate interests and more.
They aren’t joking in nature, but they are extremely relatable and certainly pull a smile and maybe even a laugh from those who see it.
Humor is an excellent way to grab attention and keep users engaged. And this powerful, humorous messaging hits close to home for many looking to find a new apartment.
The messaging is innately relatable — you can see yourself in that exact position, and maybe even have been there.
So StreetEasy is aligning itself not only as the premier destination for apartment searching, but it’s also aligning itself as a brand that you can relate to.
It’s friendly. It’s cool. It’s a brand that can help you out.
This messaging is key to a successful campaign, and the way the brand was able to understand its younger, fresher or friendlier audience shows its sophistication and excellence in the industry.
If you want to see examples of other great print campaigns, look through our Best Print Design section!
The Power Of The StreetEasy “Find Your Place” Campaign
Design agency Office of Baby was tasked with creating a wide-reaching campaign for the StreetEasy brand. And beginning in 2017, they began their mission to tell the story of NYC through captivating imagery and cohesive branding.
Using features from StreetEasy’s site, we told the real story of New York City real estate, including all its joy and heartache. The campaign, now in its fourth year, has seen StreetEasy grow their revenue 6x, becoming the number two most recognized real estate company in America despite existing only in NYC. A 2017 campaign closely echoed the look and feel of StreetEasy’s site, cementing a connection between outdoor ads and website, without sacrificing the personality for which the ads had come to be celebrated.
The result was a variety of print posters depicting the New York City way of life through creative cartoons. In addition to this, the “Find Your Place” campaign blossomed, connecting users to the neighborhoods and listings that best fit them.
The campaign launched in February of 2017, and the brand is set to release a host of new posters this summer to be seen on your subway ride to work, Central Park or happy hour.
These posters connect to users on a personal and engaging level, poking fun at NYC living and giving users a place to comfortably air out their grievances while simultaneously offering them a resource to find the home of their dreams.
By infusing humor and authenticity into posters, advertising experts can establish an instant affinity with users and create a space where they can express their frustrations and aspirations.
It’s a powerful campaign that’s going into its second year, with a success that is evident in the clear domination the brand has seen in the NYC real estate market.
This is what StreetEasy’s General Manager Susan Daimler had to say about the success of the brand:
Hyper-local data that is transparent and relevant, delivered through an unmatched user experience, is one of the primary keys to StreetEasy’s success. StreetEasy lives and breathes all things New York City real estate and that intense focus drives incredible knowledge and value to our users. It can be a challenge to share the tremendous amount of information - especially on a small screen device – that consumers expect when searching for real estate. We have risen to the challenge by engaging users through design and with curated data from a variety of sources. Finding a new home is inherently a search-driven process, so working on the visibility of StreetEasy in search engines is always a priority. We’re also focused on attracting new buyers, renters and sellers by showcasing content that complements our listing inventory. Leveraging our market data to highlight NYC real estate trends is a big piece of that, but also ‘How To’ articles, updates on issues concerning real estate, and more. Additionally, Out of Home and online advertising are central to our growth efforts, with the goal of raising unaided awareness for StreetEasy and driving new traffic.
This campaign has made an impact, and the brand intricately understood how to use the data they had to do so.
Why Branding And Humor In Design Are Important
In this design, two key elements shine through — consistent branding and clever usage of humor. And it’s these two elements that make the design stand out as well as it does.
Through humor, these designs instantly grab attention. They cause a reaction in the viewer and encourage interactivity. And once the message sets in, they’re able to respond more fluidly to the brand and follow through on the campaign’s goals.
The imagery here -- as well as the sophisticated and clean color usage -- drives the StreetEasy brand forward. It keeps the image consistent across mediums and creates a cohesiveness that establishes trust.
Other brands can look to this as inspiration. Humor and the integration of similar, branded elements are a great way to build brand identity, establish credibility and promote authenticity and authority in your brand. They create a bridge that connects your audience to you, making for more pleasant experiences going forward.
Humor can be subtle or in your face, but it’s an easy element that immediately aligns your brand as one with a personality and an approachability. It might not work for all brands and industries, but it does make the communication between business and consumer much more seamless.
Hone your design skills and brush up on your stand up — it could help give you an edge the competition is envious of.
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StreetEasy’s Clever Print Designs Captivate Audiences By Making Them Laugh While Assessing Their Home Life
These StreetEasy print ads are clever, humorous and fun. They use relatable messaging and cohesive imagery to promote its services and expertise in the New York City real estate market. And they connect with users on a personal level, leveraging common grievances and poking fun at city living.
And their placement in NYC subways is the perfect location — catching people as they travel across the city, planting seeds of curiosity as to where they can call home next.
The brand leveraged humor and intuitive understandings of the NYC real estate market to cater to their younger millennial audience. And they played with creative and illustrative imagery to give off an airy and laid back vibe.
These designs encourage interaction through humor and strong messaging that also makes users think. Where will they move next? They’ll find out thanks to StreetEasy.
This print campaign is stunning, creative and cool — aligning the brand as a powerhouse in the NYC real estate market.
Even if you don’t have a specific concept, you can still create a successful campaign! Enlist the help of these digital marketing agencies to help you market your brand effectively!
