OnTheMarket today launches new TV campaign, days after watchdog banned previous ad

OnTheMarket is launching a new TV campaign today which highlights its ‘new and exclusive’ properties, displayed on the site 24 hours or more before they can be seen on other portals.

The completely new advert launches after a ruling published last week by the Advertising Standards Authority that an earlier one could not be shown again, because it said consumers would take it to mean that most properties were featured as ‘new and exclusive’.

The ASA said it was a significant message, which would drive people to look at OTM; however, the ASA said only a minority of properties were listed on the ‘new and exclusive’ features.

The ASA did not uphold a complaint about a London underground poster, which said that OTM every month listed ‘thousands’ of properties as ‘new and exclusive’.

In the new TV advert, the story focuses on a young family who have missed out on ‘yet another perfect house’ but discover OTM has ‘thousands of new properties to buy or rent every month, 24 hours or more before they’re on Rightmove or Zoopla’.

In a series of 10-, 30-, 40- and 60-second TV commercials, the campaign demonstrates the value of setting up an OTM property alert for genuinely active property-seekers who want to stay ahead of the game.

The campaign was created by its agency, Half-full Creative.

Ian Springett, chief executive at OTM, said: “It’s very exciting to be launching our new TV campaign, which has been very positively received in market research with both active property-seekers and member agents.

“It puts the portal’s ‘new and exclusive’ properties at the heart of our advertising in a compelling and engaging manner.

“Our message to consumers is obvious. Every month, thousands of new properties appear at OTM 24 hours or more before they’re on Rightmove or Zoopla.

“We want to ensure that anyone searching for their next home doesn’t miss out and sets up a property alert with us.

“We believe we have created a memorable, intrusive and fresh campaign to appeal to the broad audience and give property-seekers a compelling reason to search at OnTheMarket.com and engage with the portal.”

OTM secured the rights to Chas and Dave’s song ‘Down to Margate’ but the lyrics and the tone have been changed for the production.

The advert is on air from today, including a spot in tonight’s episode of Emmerdale on ITV.

It will then be aired 3,000 times this month and over the campaign it will reach 32m adults, who will see it an average of 5.4 times each.

View the advert here:

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54 Comments

  1. ArthurHouse02

    Lost. For. Words.

    But on a serious note, the ad is catchy and yes people will probably remember the “song”. But, there is so little detail in the advert, people wont remember what the advert was actually about. Its an awful advert but potential memorable.

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  2. revilo

    Speechless!

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  3. bridget

    Much as I thought how terrible this advert was when I watched it about ten minutes ago, annoyingly I am still singing. ‘ …Oooooon the Market’  to myself and can’t get it out of my head, so the ad agency may have know what they were doing after all!!

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  4. smile please

    A better idea would be implimenting a live feed and getting agents to use it before this nasty advert.

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    1. Russell Williams

      Yawn.  Speak to your IT people and get them to sort it out, then.

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      1. smile please

        Its not my I.T. its the fact OTM do not have a live feed.

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        1. Russell Williams

          They DO accept a live feed!  I made a correction about 10 minutes ago and I can see it there now!
          Apologies for misunderstanding last week, when you stated your software was independent, and due to you not having a live feed, I assumed you meant it was in-house.  

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  5. Harree Is Back

    Before I watched the ad I had a look at Half Full Creative’s website, it is appallingly dull for any agency never mind one that uses the word ‘creative’ in its name.

    I thought, I hope the ad is better than the site.

    It isn’t. It’s worse.

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  6. Eastsidestory90

    That advert is totally annoying, heard it twice now and can’t get the bloomin song out of my head.

    Its a winner!

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  7. AnyoneForCoffee

    OTM approved this ??? Note to oneself- avoid tonight’s Emmerdale.

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  8. 70GJ

    Downmarket

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  9. Honest_bloke

    How many people do really miss out an opportunity of buying in first 24-48 hours from the moment the listing is live?

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    1. ArthurHouse02

      Not many. Pretty sure we missed some of the conversation before the advert cut in, maybe something like this.
      “Hi, can i view blah blah”
      “I’m sorry, we’ve now agreed a sale on that property”
      “You’re joking, i’ve just seen it”
      “Well Sir, it has been on for almost 4 weeks. Why not let me take your details and i can contact you next time”
      “No, i’ll leave it, we look everyday online and find all the proerties on there”
      “Apart from this one Sir!”
       

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  10. Harree Is Back

    I’ve watched the ad again and it is crass, but so were the compare the market ads with that ‘italian’ tenor.

    As others have pointed out the song sticks in your head and raising name awareness is absolutely what OTM need to do.

    Actually, it might just work.

    If enough people say “have you heard that awful on the market ad”…

    It HAS worked.

     

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    1. Russell Williams

      I think that’s Go Compare.  Compare the Market is the meerkats.  Clearly, the annoying repetitve adverts don’t always work  🙂

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      1. Harree Is Back

        Old age creeping in Russell!

        You’ve got the same name as one of earliest school friends 🙂

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        1. Russell Williams

          And I’m sure he was charming too.  I don’t recall a Harree (if that is your real name) – Did you happen to grow up in Frome?

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  11. AgencyInsider

    Cringeworthy. But memorable. It will work.

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    1. GPL

      Agency?….. see below comment to Frostie. You may wish to look at copyrighting your slogan too!

      frostie?
      “Cr*p but brilliant at the same time”
      I think you better copyright that before the Creative Ad Company adopt it as their company slogan!

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  12. frostieclaret87

    Cr*p but brilliant at the same time.

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    1. GPL

      frostie?

      “Cr*p but brilliant at the same time”

      I think you better copyright that before the Creative Ad Company adopt it as their company slogan!

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  13. AgentV

    I guess it’s a start.

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  14. HJ12

    Damned if the do, Damned if they don’t!

    The advert is so cheesy but memorable – the message couldn’t be clearer, the fact they state they list properties 24 hours or more ahead of RM & Z the public should get that OTM is another portal but most importantly property is listed there before anywhere else.

    Let’ hope more agents start to use this USP!

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    1. smile please

      Otm do not even have a real time feed.

      I doubt any more agents will embrace it until that is looked at.

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      1. HJ12

        we use Aquaint – they are real time with OTM & RM – goes up immediately, can also do new & exclusive automatically???

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        1. smile please

          Are you sure its real time?

          I can’t see how my software provider (and others i have spoken to) get instant upload with Z and RM but not OTM It is a good few hours delay.

          All the literature i have read does not make reference to real time updates from OTM. It has a remote feed but not real time unlike Z and RM.

           

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          1. PeeBee

            smile please

            “Otm do not even have a real time feed.”

            According to this article they do on PSG (ZPG)-based systems –

            OTM acts to reassure members as it becomes Zoopla customer

            – yet our Faulto scrapware at best manages to load to OTM in 3-4 hours – and often so late that you might as well call it next-day.

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            1. smile please

              Universal for us, independent owned. Live feed to Z and RM but not OTM.
              I know for a fact the guys at universal have no interest in delaying the feed. the issue is with OTM. 

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      2. Russell Williams

        I’m starting to think you’re really Alex Chesterman?…

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        1. PeeBee

          I would imagine that however strenuously smile please denied that slur upon his character you wouldn’t accept his denial anyway – so I can’t see what you were hoping to accomplish with that post, Mr Williams – other than chucking a firework in the room.
           

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          1. smile please

            Russell Williams is an older poster with a new ‘Screen name’ not the first time he has done this….. One would question why, but we know already. 

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          2. Russell Williams

            No slur intended; simply meant as a joke, as although some of us here talk of our live feeds to OTM, smile please insists there is no such thing.  He’ll be telling me I don’t have a dog next.
            And of course he’s not Alex C.  As if Alex C goes on here.  He has a minion to do that for him.

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            1. PeeBee

              You’ve almost redeemed yourself with that last paragraph!

              ;o)

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  15. davehedgehog

    Very Chas and Dave, but There aint no pleasing you…Gertcha.

     

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  16. mrtickle

    At the time of writing, every positive comment has 3 likes, and every negative one has 3 dislikes.

    Clearly OTM staff doing the rounds this morning.

     

    As for the ad… horrific. it’s not tuneful, the harmonies are horrible, you can barely make out any of the words.

     

    Oh and another thing…

    “That’s another perfect house we’ve missed out on.”

    “I know love, so annoying to keep missing out.”

     

    You would have thought the copywriter for the script could have found something for the “wife” to say that didn’t just mirror the “husband’s” words.

     

    ugh – Mondays, amirite. If I saw this on a Friday perhaps I’d have been in a better mood!

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    1. Russell Williams

      To start with, I thought that was his mum, not his wife.

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  17. watchdog13

    At last..OTM need to drive eyeballs to compete. Hopefully this will help. Agents have a choice, support OTM or let RM soak every last penny out of them.

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  18. FlyingSheep54

    Does anybody actually watch TV adverts these days?

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    1. Harree Is Back

      Ah… the old “does ANYBODY actually watch TV adverts these days?”.

      It’s a bit like asking “does ANYBODY actually click on those Google ads?”.

      The answers?

      No… not ONE person in the whole wide world does, not ONE.

      TV advertisers and Google are just wasting their time and money for the fun of it.

      Yeh right.

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    2. PeeBee

      No, of course not – that’s why the purveyors of #Purple_Pain are spending £millions every year on it…

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      1. AgencyInsider

        No, no-one watches TV adverts any more. That’s why companies spend billions every year on TV advertising. Duh?

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  19. GeorgeOrwell

    Dreary, dull, downmarket

    Irritatingly memorable

    Should have been much, much better as they’ve had months to plan it

    Chas n’ Dave song? Speechless

    Makes we wonder what the creatives and OTM bubbleheads turned down in favour of selecting “ Doooownnnn the Market “

    However, as I say, irritatingly memorable. It just should have been much, much better

     

     

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  20. GeorgeOrwell

    Mind you, what do you expect for a Pearly Diver?

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  21. Room101

    Delayed feeds / new and exclusive?

    What happened to estate agency where if as a consumer you were seeing the property in the newspaper or online it was already too late?

    Our team already knew who they were taking out viewing by the time they had finished listening to me booking the appraisal in the diary.  The ink on our contracts couldn’t dry quick enough.

    Does any EA operate any other way?

    Emphasis on EA – the obvious choices are not proper EA’s.

     

     

     

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  22. cyberduck46

    Misleading?

     

    They mention RM & Zoopla. Should they say they list only a certain percentage of the properties that they do?

     

    I can recall PB were told to say their fees were payable whether they sold or not. The reason being that people were used to traditional agents and would assume PB’s fee was only when the house sold.

     

    So will Joe Public, being used to the likes of RM, assume that OTM have a similar level of listings?

     

    Not that it maters. By the time any decision is made, they’ll be on their next advert 🙂

     

     

     

     

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    1. PeeBee

      “I can recall PB were told to say their fees were payable whether they sold or not.”

      They were.  They still don’t – not in clear and unambiguous terms.  Bold, precise and compelling, we were under obligation to be under PMA – and we got more than a slapped chuffin’ wristie if we weren’t.

      Feel free to make a complaint, ducky – seeing as you’ve identified this clear, barefaced ignorence by PB of the .@ASA_UK ruling.

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    2. Ostrich17

      The difference being that portals are FREE to use for Joe Public.

      Motivated buyers will look on at least 2 of the portals as none of them have 100% of listings.

      Really motivated buyers wear some shoe leather and visit EA offices in the area they are looking !

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  23. GPL

    A worthy lesson OTM learned from the PB Marketing Dept cyberduck…

    Run the Ad, then take the slap on the wrist later….

    Run, repeat, slap, run, repeat slap….. and so it goes on.

    Goose, Gander…. cyber.

     

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    1. PeeBee

      ‘Rinse & repeat’ is a brilliant descriptive of this common tactic, GPL.
      It’s just a pity that it is allowed to continue.
      And continue…

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  24. GPL

    As much as I dislike the two-faced OTM Management and the Low Rent Advert…. I like that they did actually mention Rightmove & Zoopla with the thought that they are seated at the same table?

    The Facebook thing looks like a quickstep towards personal enrichment for the Ivory Tower Brigade however what do I know? I’m just an honest EA, not a millionaire or one aspiring to be. Money after all is just paper, spend it with one hand, wipe your %$£! with it using your other hand!

    Tickety Tock Rightmove…. they aren’t just sitting there looking up their portal. What next?

    Season 1 – Portal Wars… free to view for now!

     

     

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  25. GPL

    Free Ad from me for OTM…

    Gameshow Audience cheering wildly/shouting “OnTheMarket, New & Exclusive, OnTheMarket, New & Exclusive….”

    The host turns to the nervous Family Contestants, pointing up at the huge screen with 3 dazzling buttons “Rightmove”, “OnTheMarket” & “Zoopla”…. and the host says “so to be a winner in finding your next home, which button are you going for” ….

    The Audience cheering “OnTheMarket – New & Exclusive” and pointing at the dazzling “OnTheMarket” button and the family suddenly press the “OnTheMarket” button….

    queue the music? fireworks, audience cheering wildly and the dazzliing screen with the words….

    “New & Exclusive only with OnTheMarket – be a winner finding your next home! Thousands of Properties, 24 or 48 Hours before Rightmove or Zoopla. Search OnTheMarket first!

    ….or a Chas n’ Dave Ad? OTM…. as said here earlier by GeorgeOrwell, run by bubbleheads! …..Chas n’ Dave? …..really? …..that was the best you could come up with?!

     

     

     

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    1. htsnom79

      I like this GPL, shame we lost Brucey so recently its making me smile thinking of him doing it, now there was a Bruce worth getting behind, not to be confused with

      ” lots of love ” yuk..

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  26. RMAgent63

    A good advert. One of those that you will stick in your mind and end up humming for days.

    We’re getting a good amount of leads already from OTM. Very specific as well.  In August i sold 4 properties and let 6 rentals via OTM. We’re very happy with this.

    They trailed RM leads last month only by 30 and the month before by 55. Definitely more people are viewing their site. I tell all my prospective vendors that we advertise on OTM and then Rightmove.

    This ad campaign will only help OTM.

     

     

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  27. Countrybumpkin

    I think the advert is clever. The most memorable ones are the tackiest! If you don’t believe me GO COMPARE!!!!!

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