As Airbnb rapidly expands around the world, it continues to face legal challenges around its progressive business model, which is heavily influenced by public awareness of its brand. In New York, they faced strong opposition from the Attorney General's office, and we were brought on to create a campaign that clearly conveyed their value to New Yorkers and raised their general brand awareness in the metro area.
To personalize the message, we focused on a handful of real New Yorkers, all of whom were existing Airbnb hosts. With them we created a fully integrated campaign composed of broadcast, print, and digital all sourced from exploration into their individual stories.
The campaign cast a wide net on subways and billboards in the New York metro area, online, and via broadcast during the 2014 World Cup. The result was a massive media response from national publications, including a cover article in New York Magazine. Brand awareness in the region skyrocketed, and Airbnb found new footing in the ongoing debate over the regulation of a newly emerging model.