Need real estate? Don’t trust the bald guy.

I got an e-mail today concerning a new ad campaign for The Office Condo Handbook, a guide to buying office-condo space in south Florida. From the release: “It’s risky, outside of the box and speaks to the consumer.” I’ll assume “risky” refers to the attitude of the ads, not real-estate investment in Florida, where hurricanes rarely come ashore. I’m not sure “risky” is the right word for the campaign. The cartoon visuals are ’70s-instruction-manual retro, with characters whose roles and motivations are easy to figure out. The balding, cigar-chomping guy with Mr. Burns-style tented fingertips is evil, because he charges you rent. The groovy corporate dude with a full head of hair who welcomes you with a double thumbs-up as you enter the site is good, because he shows you how to own, or at the very least has a can-do attitude. I bookmarked the site in case I ever need office space in Tampa. (By the way, hair does not equal goodness. You reach a certain stage in life, you get a little sensitive about that. Besides, I’m pretty sure the corporate dude is wearing a rug.)

—Posted by David Gianatasio

August 7, 2007 | Permalink