Suburb's Marketing Campaign 'Portrays Best of Both Worlds'

Twenty-five miles south of Chicago is the suburb of Homewood, Ill., home to 20,000 residents, and an advertising campaign seeking to attract Millennials hoping to settle down and start a family.

The "Think Homewood" advertisements are comic strips posted throughout Chicago, marketing the town as a beacon for stress-free living, compared to the rush and expense of city life. Yet, the bustling city of Chicago with all of its family activities is only a train-ride away. While the artistic renderings may be alluring, the city itself has attractive qualities. The median home value in Homewood is $149,800, per Zillow, and the town has a good public school system, CityLab reports. The ads will run through the end of May 2018.

“Think Homewood” reveals just how much the old dichotomy of city vs. suburb is blurring. It proves a fact that would have been unthinkable 20 or 30 years ago: Suburbs now have to work to attract the cohort they were built for. As certain cities become more sought-after and lively, suburbs can no longer just sit back and wait for the inevitable stampede of first-time homebuyers and new parents. They have to convince skeptical young folk of their essential urbanity first.

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