New Airbnb Commercial

[Laura2592]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swC5HX1HmLw

Okay, where to begin?

Yes its cute. The creatures are cute. But....

1) did the ad agency research the antipathy that many hosts have to pets lol? Come on! That's a lot of hair to clean!

2) does anyone feel a little irritated that they may be compared to Bigfoot (or Cousin Itt) if they stay as a guest?

3) would this make you host? It wouldn't make me want to.

4) is the message "hosts view people as monsters?" Seems so. 

Let's focus group this-- I don't know if it has been. What are your impressions?

[Pat271]

“Model guests! They were very cognizant of the fact that it was shedding season. They wiped their feet before they entered the house, and stripped the beds when they left. Would host anytime!” 

Besides, I would never want to be accused of being a hairist.

Seriously, this is much better than another commercial I saw, in which a roomful of people in a festive mood were disemboweling a kitchen. Much better messaging here. 

[Laura2592]

@Pat271 I agree its better than many efforts, but I still don't understand the message. That people in your home are furry, yet benevolent monsters? Who turn back into people the minute they leave? 

I don't understand why they don't do a simple yet effective comparison to a hotel.  Twins, cousins, texting about visiting grandma this year and where they are staying. Side by side experiences of them traveling for the holidays. In the Airbnb there are board games, records, mulled cider on the stove before everyone heads out to grandmas. The guest has a lovely view and personalized note. In the hotel, the room is standard, a bit sterile, they guest lies bored on the bed watching movies until the phone buzzes that its time to leave for grandma's.  You could flip this to call for hosts, adding a shot of the respective places being readied and  the check in process, calling out the coziness and personalization of Airbnb. (Yes I can story board this for the ad agency. I charge a 15% finders fee and hourly for creative.)

There are MANY ways to make this platform appealing. But I don't know if the Yeti figure into them.

[Pat271]

I’m sure you could write a better commercial, @Laura2592. 😊

I also think the main theme of the commercial is to promote inclusivity, and to remind hosts not to second-guess their guests. Given today’s current climate, maybe they’ve received a fair amount of complaining in this area.

An Airbnb commercial would not be complete without some sort of lecture to us hosts, right?

[Laura2592]

@Pat271 I am sure you are correct and the aim was inclusivity. But the path to the message is somewhat obscured. Presumably they want hosts. The call to action is "try hosting." So why present guests as non human creatures? Many hosts are just fine with humans and not with non human occupants. It just seems very odd to me. If there is a lecture (and 100% agree there probably is) I missed the jist. And I don't consider myself particularly dense, most of the time. 

I think someone fell in love with the cute monsters and said "that's the one!" not bothering to parse the finer points of messaging. And as you say, its better than many other outings. 

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

That's a great idea, but I think would appeal to guests, i.e. why it's more fun to stay in an Airbnb than a hotel. This ad is targeted at hosts, although that wasn't necessarily clear to me until the call to action at the end.

[Susie0]

The message is you may have no idea who is staying if you don’t have a hosted rental. And you should charge extra for hot tub cleaning.

[Miriam619]

I really like the commercial.  It’s simple without picking it all apart.  People are unique and are making priceless memories we as host offer. I appreciate the message and as they leave and close the door they return to “normal” humans.  

try not to get caught up in dissecting what isn’t there.  It’s a simple message. And the song Beautiful Stranger fits perfectly with the message 

[Adam2313]

Their Xmas commercial this year trashing urban housing is just gross. Far worse than comparing human guests with monsters, which is certainly questionable. Santa won't find you in a hotel? You have to have a chimney? That's a ridiculous and cruel message to kids on Christmas 

[Miriam619]

I don’t agree with you.  The commercial regarding monsters is unfair.  A lot of people think strangers are all monsters.  I drive Uber and I get that from people thinking I could never do that.  It’s dangerous and the same with rentals to strangers.  So their analogy is spot on.  I love that commercial.  You sound like a Karen.  

[Mark116]

@Laura2592  It's weird.  Not actively terrible like the one with the host giving the kid an electric guitar and the boy dangerously standing on the furniture and bed.  But, silly.  Airbnb trys sooooo hard to be edgy.  This feels a little too creative to me.  

[Laura2592]

@Mark116 they seem to want their brand to be cute/edgy. Which really (to me) doesn't fit with their product. It has shifted somewhat from "inclusion/citizen of the world" which at least made sense. 

[Sarah977]

@Laura2592  Very weird. Also, the music has lyrics which are decidedly Christian. 

[Kelly149]

@Sarah977 https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/18591-kevin-morby-beautiful-strangers/

[Kelly149]

What a weird weird ad. I can’t even.