KIRKLAND, WA -- If you're a baby boomer, you remember
George Jetson, his wife Jane, and his boy Elroy. The JETSONS, cartoon
characters from the 1970s, lived in the future, with George commuting to
work in a flying car.
Today, The JETSONS no longer "fly," but travel the country in style in a
Kenworth W900L, courtesy of North American Van Lines, Inc. The household
mover provides the tractor and drivers to CENTURY 21 Real Estate
Corporation, creators of the national tour teaming up with North American
Van Lines, Inc., PontiacR, move.com and the Cartoon NetworkR, to make it
happen.
"The future of real estate is lined with technological advances - some of
which lie beyond our wildest dreams," according to Steve Savino, CENTURY
21's senior vice president of marketing, products and services. "As we
enter
the 21st CENTURY, we hope to spark the imaginations of consumers by
bringing
the open house of the future directly to them, and in turn, reinforce our
leading role in the real estate industry."
The tour began in July 2000 and will run for one year. The exhibit, which
can stay on site for several weeks, is set up at baseball stadiums, state
fairs and trade shows.
North American Van Lines, Inc. became involved because "it offered us an
opportunity to promote our world-class moving services," said Ed Plant,
North American Van Lines' director of driver services. "We felt Kenworth's
W900L, which is a popular truck with our owner operators, helped project
the
quality image we were looking for."
According to Ron "Rocky" Nawrocki, who shares driving duties with Winston
Church, the tour is phenomenal. "It really is," Nawrocki said. "The
exhibit
is a smile-maker, and it's something to see the trailer fold out to the
size
of a small house. And the Kenworth is a great truck to drive, and to be
seen in. It gets its fair share of attention at the exhibits. We've had
hundreds of people take tours of the W900L -- including quite a few
professional baseball players."
The tour also serves an instrument in improving the trucking industry's
image, Nawrocki added. "We're doing our part to educate the public about
what our industry does and how we use well-maintained equipment that is
cutting edge and safe. Overall, everyone benefits from this tour."
To date, approximately 40,000 people have visited the touring home. Once
inside the 53-foot expandable trailer, which pulls out to unveil 1,000
square feet of space, guests are lured toward the virtual kitchen by
scents
of Jane's cooking. Next, they get a peek into Elroy's room and watch Astro
(the family dog) out on the dog walk. Rounding out the tour, visitors hop
into The JETSONS' family car and experience a 3-D tour of the neighborhood
hosted by virtual agent, Sunny Luna.
Century 21 Real Estate Corporation (www.century21.com) is the franchisor
of
the world's largest residential real estate sales organization, providing
comprehensive training, management, administrative and marketing support
for
the CENTURY 21 System. The system is comprised of more than 6,300
independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in more than 28
countries and territories worldwide. Century 21 Real Estate Corporation
is a
subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD) and is part of the move.com
family of relocation, real estate and home-related services companies.
North American Van Lines, Inc. is a global leader in the field of
household
relocation and logistics services. North American is a subsidiary of
Allied
Worldwide, the largest relocation and logistics company in the world with
more than 1,100 agents in 36 countries.
Kenworth Truck Company, a division of PACCAR Inc, is a leading
manufacturer
of heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth's Internet site is at
www.kenworth.com.
"The JETSONS Open House Tour" was developed and is managed by Century 21
Real Estate Corporation's promotion agency BFG Communications. BFG
specializes in integrated promotions, sponsorships and events and is
independently operated with headquarters in South Carolina and field
offices
throughout the United States. BFG has been ranked among the nation's top
promotion firms, by PROMO magazine.
CENTURY 21 is a registered trademark of exclusively licensed to Century
21
Real Estate Corporation. The JETSONS and all related characters and
elements are trademarks of Hanna-Barbera 2000. CARTOON NETWORK is a trademark of Cartoon Network 2000.
