Dive Brief:

• Contractors who want to make a good impression on prospective home buyers and remodeling customers should try old-fashioned pictures and typefaces in their advertising, according to BUILDER magazine.

• “Grandpa graphics” have become popular in advertising across all industries, advertising agency head Dan Antonelli of Graphic D-Signs, a company that works with small- and mid-size construction companies, told BUILDER. "Retro" works for builders, he says, because it evokes the old-time feeling of honest companies that built their businesses on solid relationships, reliability, and personal interaction.

• A throwback marketing style might not work for everyone, notes Antonelli. Depending on the location of the builder and the demographics of potential local customers, a more modern approach might be more appealing.

Dive Insight:

Most residential construction and remodeling companies are fairly similar when it comes to prices, services and warranties. To set themselves apart, Antonelli recommends using “retro branding” to highlight personal service, attention to detail and “old-school values of trustworthiness and reliability.”