Our creative idea was simple; seed a series of fake property adverts amongst the real homes in the Evening Standard’s database. Prospective property purchasers were engaged at the right place, at the right time and in the right mindset. Teased in by seemingly bargain prices happy home hunters skimming the classifieds of www.homesandproperty.co.uk were disrupted with spoof ads of dream homes in a state of total ruin. Rat infestations……. Faulty showers and burst pipes……electrical faults and boiler breakdowns and all at a knock down cost. Each execution served home owners with a timely reminder of the emergencies facing their own home and the importance of The AA’s Home Emergency Response cover.

Most importantly browsers looking for two bedroom flats in Brighton and loft apartments in Islington were the most gullible. The campaign was a great success too. The drama of destroying picture-perfect homes violently tugged on browsers’ heartstrings and really got people talking online. Over 1.4million people saw the hoax and an astonishing 44% of those to see the full-page listings fell for it and clicked through to theAA.com.