The Standard Bank home loans 'Rent-a-balcony' ad has the tendency to catch one unawares, and herein lies its strength. It is 'busy' enough to engross the reader, particularly because at first it appears to be a legitimate advertisement of balconies for rent. 
It capitalises on the notion that printed media is usually 'high involvement', hence it presents a good balance between printed and pictorial information, thus focusing the readers' attention by appealing to both the visual and verbal hemispheres of the brain.
By being engaging, it also ensures that that eye movement is initially directed to the top section of the ad. However, demands are also placed on the reader to figure out why on earth someone would want to rent a balcony? This also captivates, together with a humorous take on the quintessential Afrikaans "CEO", and subtle play on the overrated Tuscany theme, which is rife in the north-west (in which the 'company' has a 'showroom'). The '0800' number makes the whole thing seem even more legitimate.
There is sound strategy behind the idea, combining various methods of capturing the readers' attention and to make them ponder the notion of renting a balcony, as it sets the stage solidly for the payoff line: "renting a balcony is just as crazy as renting the rest of the house..."
This is when the penny drops fully, even though some readers would have figured out that renting a balcony does not make any sense at all. However, in this world where people are coming up with seemingly crazy ideas and making millions off it, things are seen as bold or innovative, as opposed to outright unworthy of consideration or plain nuts. This makes the idea behind the ad prevail.
The ad succeeds in putting an interesting, entertaining and captivating spin on the issue of renting. It is an elegant way of cutting through the clutter and reaching those who haven't bought a home yet, humorously pointing out that renting may not be the most sound business decision. It is certainly more effective a strategy than trying to convince people through boring facts and figures why renting should not be first choice.
