DiJones
Real estate
2022
Branding, Campaign, Strategy
“Not your usual Karen” real estate bus advertising campaign.
In the months following the Covid lockdowns, DiJones agent Karen D’Angola reached out with a simple request: a bus advert. No concept, no headline — just a standard placement to keep her face out there.
But I saw an opportunity to do more.
Rather than run another agent headshot with a forgettable line, (Thinking of selling? yawn) I pitched something that turned Karen’s name — and the cultural baggage it carried at the time — into a strength. The goal wasn’t just to fill a space on the back of a bus. It was to build local recognition, spark curiosity, and show that Karen wasn’t just another agent. Thankfully, she was brave enough to let it happen.
Although the original brief was for one bus ad, I expanded the concept into a full mini-campaign:
Transit Advertising
- Long-term placement across key bus routes in Northwest Sydney in the Hills District
- Messaging-first design
OOH at Castle Hill Metro
- Station-based exposure reinforcing brand recognition
Social Media Extensions
- Created a suite of social assets using campaign lines
- Built on the local buzz and Karen’s real-world interactions
The voice, visuals, and humour were designed to feel like Karen herself — not a templated, one-size-fits-all real estate campaign. That was the real win: making a corporate brand moment feel personal.
The “Not Your Usual Karen” campaign started with a single bus ad request — but became a playful, personality-driven marketing rollout that turned local transit media into a genuine conversation starter.
Crafted for DiJones agent Karen D’Angola and rolled out across the Hills District and northwest Sydney, the campaign used bold headlines, real-life humour, and visual minimalism to make one agent feel unforgettable. It’s proof that with the right thinking (and a brave client), even the most standard media brief can become something completely unexpected.
