SINYI REALTY | IN LOVE WE TRUST | 2020
The Day a Real Estate Company Sold Hope, Not Houses / SINYI REALTY "IN LOVE WE TRUST"
A real estate brand film running 7 minutes and 23 seconds made all of Taiwan cry. And it won Taiwan's first-ever Grand Prix in Cannes advertising history. The courage of a real estate company that showed no properties at all, instead talking entirely about "the fear of marriage" - that's thrilling.
The problem
Taiwan's divorce rate had surpassed its marriage rate, a shocking situation that ranked first in Asia and second in the world. Indifference toward romance and marriage was spreading among the younger generation. This was a life-or-death issue for the real estate industry - newlywed couples are always a key customer segment in the property market, and SINYI REALTY, the leading brand, was concerned about the growing tendency of young people to divorce soon after marrying. A structural social problem that was shaking the very foundation of their business.
The insight
dentsuMB Taiwan coined the phrase "the era of doubting marriage," giving a name to this generation's fear. The strategic shift from selling properties to selling "hope" is exactly the heart of this campaign. SINYI REALTY wanted to build trust with the younger generation through a brand film that encourages young people to overcome their fear of commitment and seek lasting love. It looks like something a real estate company has no business doing - but it turned out to be exactly what they needed to do. A beautiful paradox.
The idea
In Taiwan, the Household Registration Office handles applications for births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. The film tells the story of a woman who works there. Every day, as she counts marriages and divorces, she's troubled by how overwhelmingly divorces outnumber marriages. Then one day, she meets a grandfather who keeps his late wife eternally in his heart, and she realizes that love can last, that it can transcend worldly separation. Jae Goodman, the jury president, said of this brand film running over 7 minutes that he was "moved to tears multiple times," adding that "everyone is surprised real estate advertising could be this moving." The boldness of leaving the product out entirely and competing purely on emotion.
What happened
Within 7 days of release, it generated over 4 million views and 14 million likes, sparking widespread discussion about the nation's fear of marriage. According to Judge Ad, it became the most-shared ad in Taiwan that year, and it also ranked as the most popular ad on YouTube in the latter half of the year. More than 40 media outlets covered it, and many celebrities shared it on social media, generating exposure worth millions of dollars. It then won the Grand Prix in the Entertainment category at Cannes Lions 2021 - the first-ever Grand Prix for a Taiwanese agency.
Afterthought
In the end, it all comes down to this one line: "A real estate company doesn't just sell houses. What matters more is selling hope." As CCO Alice Chou put it, "whether two people ultimately stay together or part ways, that decision should be guided not by fear, but by the love in their hearts" - this film spoke not about a product, but about a way of living. The courage for an intensely practical business like real estate to confront one of society's most fundamental anxieties. That's something worth learning from.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2020
Featured in
- Only the Ones Marked 'First'Reading through the Grand Prix records in order, from the very first in 1954 to 2022
