RentHop

Through these ads, RentHop wanted to engage those New Yorkers with apartments they loved as well as those on the hunt for something different. The first question we had was obvious: What type of message would get people to visit a rental website, even if they aren’t currently in the apartment search process? We had to find that magical balance of broad appeal (the ads needed to captivate a wide breadth of people) and specificity (most people only look up from their phones if something strikes them as relevant). Our second question was about expected campaign results: How would we capture mindshare and keep RentHop top of mind after the campaign came to an end? The campaign and product would need to encourage email address collection.

This is what sparked our idea for RentHop RentCompare, a tool that allows users to see if they’re paying too much (or too little) in rent compared to their neighbors as well as those in similar properties. Who doesn’t want to know if they’re getting a good deal or not? Similar to how homeowners receive updates about their home value, it would also generate quarterly email updates stating whether they’re over or underpaying in regards to rent value. Like checking in your stock market portfolio, users would be able to access how their current rent is “performing.”

RentHop RentCompare would do it all: attract the masses, inspire action, raise awareness, and provide RentHop with potential customer data. 

Translating the product and campaign strategies into ad form began with the message itself. We wanted copy that was punchy and potent — but nothing too aggressive, as it needed to be approved by the MTA. Our copywriters also had to be aware of the estimated character count. The ad campaign required three different-sized ads, so the exact amount of copy would vary by dimension. 

After numerous brainstorming, writing, editing, and rewriting sessions, we aligned on several variations in copy that all harkened back to one central theme: As a New Yorker, are you paying too much for rent?

Any design that felt too busy or complicated would deter from the campaign message, but the overall appearance still needed to pop. How else do you get busy New Yorkers to stop and actually read your ad? Our designers leaned into the usage of bright colors: Pantone 305 cp, Pantone 2935 c, Pantone 2036 c, Pantone 353 c, and Pantone 1205 c, among others. Along with the copy, there also needed to be room for the RentHop brand character — a wallaby named Wally — and the QR code that takes users to RentHop RentCompare. 

The final print-ready package included four variations that would work in the 11x46 ad space, four for the 11x70 space, and four for the 21x21 space — all of which would appear in varying spots on the Subway car.