Nothing says "We love our hosts" like videos of a guest jumping on the bed

Nothing says "We love our hosts" like videos of a guest jumping on the bed

I just saw this today and was stunned: A commercial showing hosts leaving out an electric guitar for a family and the couple's child jumping up and down on the bed.

What Ad agency thought this was a good idea? And what unrealistic expectations is Airbnb setting for potential guests about what hosts will be providing and what guests are allowed to do in these homes? (note all the hosts who verify they can't get reimbursed for their broken furniture and beds).

And no - it's not cute when it's a minority kid doing it.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/OGXN/airbnb-made-possible-by-hosts-song-2

Please oh please oh please show these things to hosts in a focus group first. Our jobs are hard enough as it is.

89 Replies 89

The WORST! Overwrought and self-important creative set to the 'music of god' , elevating and equating Airbnb to the age of enlightenment of mankind. Super super cringe, and the line "sleep in their beds so that you may know their dreams..." still haunts me.

 

LAUGHABLE. Fire that copywriter! 

 

John5097
Level 10
Charleston, SC

@Christine615 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/vrbo-isnt-airbnbs-problem-11621510202

Happened to see this article the other day. 

"While data from short-term rental analytics platform AirDNA shows Airbnb has increased its overall active listings over the past 12 months, travel-news publication Skift reported Airbnb lost nearly 1 in 10 single-property hosts in the 12 months ended March 31, citing data from vacation-rental data provider Transparent. That data shows single-property hosts made up more than 70% of Airbnb’s total host population at the end of the first quarter."

 

.........


The title says VRBO isn't Airbnb problem but its a good read, and VRBO is successfully attracting Airbnb superhost. I think because host and homeowners try and avoid and manage risk. 

The ad with the child jumping around may be in response to VRBO ads that aim to attract families, and whole house rentals. I had one family with a kid about the same age and it sounded like a gymnasium.  It was the young dad that was the problem. They left a hard plastic ball and were using the laundry hamper as a basketball hoop, where I found the ball. This ad should be of kid at the beach, doing fun new outdoor activites, at the beach to play, on a boat sightseeing, then crashing out back at the BnB. All my other families were great and went out and did fun things with the kids. And one of the reasons I switched to just hosting couples was the hyper active dad and wild kids using the back apartment as a gym. 

Kathy59
Level 3
Buckhorn, Canada

@Christine615  Wow, thanks for bringing that to the attention of us, collective hosts.  Yikes!  

The boy is playing the guitar standing on the coffee table too, eeek.  

How about treat our homes/units with respect, please!?

Yes, giving the wrong impression for sure!

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

It is not AT ALL difficult to show families and young children having fun without having them shown in commercials standing on the furniture!!  Or playing what must be loud guitars.

 

And then, we wonder why the quality of guests continues to decline, why people come to our properties and treat them worse than a Motel 6 while at the same time becoming enraged any time their expectation is not met.  

 

 

Max144
Level 10
Bongaree, Australia

Very disrespectful, anyone with commonsense should know not to portray young children standing on coffee tables and jumping on beds, why not show family watching television or making a cup of coffee and snuggled up in bed asleep after busy day.

@Max144  Better yet, show them going out all day every day 😂😂😂

 

I have to say that kid is really cute @Christine615 😘

@Ann72  You know, one thing that stands out to me about  several of these ads is that the characters behave like they've just moved into a new permanent home - not at all like people on vacation, doing all those things that STR lobbyists promise cities are good for the local economy like supporting neighborhood businesses. 

 

I can see the appeal this campaign might have to guests who are desperate to escape their homes but are still nervous about restaurants and sightseeing crowds. What I can't quite see is how it would make someone want to host rather than, say, become a landlord. The fact that tourists spent their days out doing stuff is the entire reason we prefer them over long-term dwellers!

Elaine701
Level 10
Balearic Islands, Spain

Completely agree, @Anonymous , but these ads aren't targeted at hosts, are they? They're targeted at guests, not? After all, that's where the money comes from. 

 

There's <still> adverts running at least once per hour on UK media that promote how people with an extra room or property can make good money on Airbnb. THAT is targeting hosts. I'm not sure why the spend recruiting hosts in the UK though. Maybe it's staycations?

@Anonymous  Yes, these ads convey the exact opposite message than the one hosts need guests to understand. "Just because you paid to stay here doesn't mean it is your home, it's mine.  You are a guest- please behave like one."

 

It's like Airbnb is trying to change the definition of the word "guest", from "Show respect" to "Show entitlement". And guests are only too willing to embrace this attitude.

 

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

It isn't safe for a child to stand on the f**** coffee table or jump up and down on a bed.  Forget about how disrespectful it is to the host community to encourage such behavior but it's dangerous.  It is truly insane to realize how many absolutely clueless people must have seen and then approved this commercial.

@Mark116 When i was a kid, we loved jumping on our parents' bed. It had one of those bookcase headboards. Well My sis and I were doing it while our parents were cooking dinner and I fell and hit my head so hard, I needed stitches in the ER. I still have a little bald spot back there, all these years later! DON'T JUMP ON THE BED, KIDS!

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

The advertising agency that created this video is Wieden and Kennedy. https://www.wk.com/

 

I suggest we all send them an email. Scroll down on their "Contact" page to the email address of their Public Relations director. 

@Sarah977 Yikes that terrible, chaotic, claustrophobic [badly designed] web site practically gave me a seizure.  

I work in advertising and WK was the premier place where everyone wanted to work. just to have their name in your book would open doors.... Back in the day, but maybe they have since gone downhill! 🤣

M199
Level 10
South Bruce Peninsula, Canada

How does Airbnb expect to keep or gain hosts with this lack of respect???

 

Between the Covid impact and the newest lack of respect/support from Airbnb, why are we all doing this.  

 

H E double toothpicks,  I may just quit, sell my paradise for a huge profit and retire.  Thinking that providing the experience for the benefit of others just isn't worth it.