Marketing Firm Wants Your Home for Advertisement

What happens with a mix of a marketing firm, homeowners looking for ways to pay mortgage and a house? According to Brainiacs From Mars, this is a formula for great marketing.  The marketing firm decided that homes could be marketing space and by offering to pay mortgages, homeowners would be willing to offer up theirs. “Exclusive: Mortgage problems? Turn your house into a billboard” by Tim Reid of Reuters.com reports the case of the Hostetlers of Buena Park, CA. They gave their home to Brainiacs From Mars in exchange for “getting their nearly $2,000 monthly mortgage paid.” The result was the company’s name plastered on the home against a green background and the 2^nd part of the home painted orange with a GR code and the Facebook and Twitter symbol.

According to the article, the mortgage payments go “up to a year” but doesn’t clarify the length of time homeowners must keep the advertising on their homes.  The Hostetler’s neighbors were told it would be one month; the couple might push for six months. Speaking of neighbors, some were not fond of the advertisement and color scheme. They complained and city council hasn’t been too agreeable.

The man behind the scheme is Romeo Mendoza, the founder and CEO.  The article reports “his ultimate goal is to turn 1,000 homes across the United States into giant advertisements for his marketing firm”.  Since advertising this format via the company’s website there has been “38,000 applications”.  Mendoza’s contribution to the article was pretty much stating that the scheme helps homeowners and that “he hopes the quirkiness… will convince companies to hire Brainiacs From Mars to run their advertising campaigns”. In the end, he believes the financial need of homeowners will give them the support they need to keep going. Although, Mendoza is aware of the challenge he faces with zoning laws and city council approvals.

I can’t judge someone who is willing to do what they can to keep their home. However, do homeowners pick the marketing schemes on their homes? Will Brainiacs From Mars place boundaries on the types of advertisements they place on people’s home? For example, Will the firm place porn site advertisements on homes, given city approval? And while this may help keep a few homes afloat, home advertisements could lower the value of homes considering some might shy from a neighborhood with such advertisement or owners might find it hard to sell a home next to a giant billboard. 

We can try to believe that this advertisement scheme has the intent of helping people but it won’t make a dent in the economy. There are too many homes in possible foreclosure, too many people who would be willing to give up their homes for mortgage payments.  Yet, Brainiacs From Mars has gotten the attention they sought. The publicity from this marketing stunt could influence other firms to also offer home advertisement. If a trend starts, the firm will be credited with starting it. At this point, Mendoza can sum up his progress as  “we have really hit a nerve, and we can’t let that stop us”.