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What do you think? I personally hate them. I really hate the voiceover mostly…but that’s my problem I guess…
The last thing I want is a bunch of kids building tents out of my sheets and people thinking that’s ok. Or, better yet, flipping an omelet, and most likely dropping it on the floor…for me to pick up…
This ad is completely leaving true hosts out of the picture, and I think that’s crappy. I’m a “whole house” host…but I…just…have some reservations…
What do you think?
As a senior advertising agency copywriter for many many years, and as someone who has worked on campaign concepts like this… I personally find this campaign to be OFF message. First of all, I “don’t” like starting an invitation to a product or service with the word DON’T. It’s introducing a negative right off the bat.
I also don’t think any guests book on Air go to LIVE in a place. They go to VISIT, and then thankfully they check out. I get what they are trying to communicate (i.e., become part of this world,) but I think it misses the target for both guests and hosts! It’s too esoteric! As a host, I’m troubled by the idea of a guest “moving in!” We don’t really want to push that idea, we have enough problems with them misunderstanding that concept as it is!
If I get in an Airbnb in Prague, I’m doing it to save money and maybe meet a nice host who can give me pointers about a city I am wanting to visit. I’m not doing it to MOVE THERE. Or LIVE THERE.
So yeah… I agree this campaign is off. But it’s better than the previous one, which used the concept imploring you to “sleep in their beds,” etc. That one felt creepy.
I believe it’s legendary ad agency Chiat Day with the account, so maybe they gave this client to their “B” team, LOL.
This is really interesting.
For me the “live there” message is really appealing. I’m a much bigger fan of going to work for a while in foreign cities or countries than of conventional “holiday making”, and I’ve certainly used AirBnB to do that in the past. I think the ad campaign is trying to remind a wider range of people of that possibility - particularly timely as more and more of us are able to work remotely.
…Having said that i’m definitely not a fan of the sheet tent idea!
I personally like that campaign ! It’s much better than the Love it/Live it campaign in my opinion (no offense Mearns, but how many hosts own an island for rent, and how many guests want to rent one?).
I have always preferred vacation rentals over hotels, precisely to have the impression to live there. I often rent apartments for longer periods (one month in Italy next September for instance) because I love having plenty of time to “live there” and get to know a place. I love shopping at the local (super)market, not being disturbed by maids in the morning, and having breakfast whenever I want !
And one of my favourite compliments I get from guests is “it’s just like home”.
Plus I receive a reservation request everyday since the beginning of this campaign :).
Are you featured in the campaign??? Like our own Mearns was? I mean, his place totally deserves to be highlighted like that and has that WOW factor! I don’t mind that tagline… “Love it, Live it.” Better than the first one “Sleep in their beds,” or this one, “Don’t Go There.” Seems like they change quite often, so maybe we’ll see a new one shortly…(But honestly, do they really need to advertise? They are already the clear market leader!)
I’m behind the times here - where can I see this ad?
I have a humble (but pretty) 2br condo in a middle-class suburb 
and I am not featured anywhere. That’s what I mean, the bulk of Airbnbs are average homes in average neighborhoods, so I think it’s more appropriate for an Airbnb campaign to sell the ordinary and the everyday life than the extraordinary :).
Thanks for that. I’m going to check it out now
Here’s the one we see in the States: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1AtjOKph7-k
The voiceover is completely different and, to me, a turn-off… It just sounds…smug.
But everyone thinks their own neighborhood is ordinary… with the exception of Mearns perhaps!
“Why just go there? Why not live there?”
There’s your slogan. Please direct any royalties this way.
Well check this out. It’s the Ad Age editor’s pick. And the agency is Chiat-Day. I wonder if the Editor is a Host??
Editor’s Pick
Why have a cookie cutter travel experience when you can live like a local? That’s the idea at the heart of “Live There,” Airbnb’s largest brand campaign to date, which debuted today.
Created out of TBWA/Chiat/Day L.A., the campaign features an anthem spot that urges would-be travelers to think differently about their next trip:
“Don’t go to Paris, don’t tour Paris and please, don’t do Paris,” a voiceover urges atop scenes of the city’s most famous landmarks like the Eiffell Tower and the Arc D’Triomphe. “Live in Paris,” it then asserts before cutting to warm, familial scenes of people letting loose and hanging out as if they’re locals in neighborhoods like Malibu, California, Shinagawa in Tokyo and the East Village in NYC.
Along with the broadcast spot, Airbnb has also created a series of print ads which feature Pinterest-style images of travelers who look at home in various locales like a Tokyo artist’s loft, a California poolside or a cozy Paris apartment. Each one reads: “Live there. Even if it’s just for a night.”
The campaign bows as Airbnb unveils a series of new features on its app designed to help travelers live more like a local. Those include “Bespoke Matching,” a re-engineered search function that allows consumers to focus their search with more preferences; a neighborhood matching system called “Get to Know Neighborhoods” and “Guidebooks” compiled by Airbnb hosts that offer tips on best of their neighborhoods, including top local joints and unique travel ideas.
“The number one reason people chose to travel on Airbnb is they want to live like a local,” said Brian Chesky, Airbnb co-founder and CEO in a statement. “They don’t want to be tourists stuck in long lines, fighting with the crowds to see the same thing as everyone else. Our hosts offer more than just generic hospitality – they welcome travelers from around the world into their communities. Today is the start of an exciting journey to help people not just go somewhere, but truly live there.”
Just stumbled on this thread. My first impression of the ‘Love it, Live it’ campaign when was explained to me was that they were trumpeting how they do indeed have some unusual listing among their existing offerings. Makes sense then to list unusual places, and I jumped on the opportunity when they called me.
The new one, the ‘Paris’ one to me (who knows zero about marketing) it struck me like they are featuring the place foremost and not featuring the host, which is what does make the ‘AirBnB’ experience different, And the ‘don’ts’ at the very start I always thought was a non-no in advertising, like kona said.
Pardon my ignorance if AirBnB has done this, but have they done an ad campaign featuring their great hosts, which needless to say, is what is what mainly making the AirBnB experience so attractive?
Some younger hosts won’t remember that the ‘Don’t’ thing was quite a popular tactic in the 1980s and 90s.
‘DON’T BUY A USED CAR until you’ve read our free report’ and so on. It worked in the old days but I’m not sure that it will now - consumers are smarter these days
I like the concept, haven’t heard the American English voice over. I, too, like to feel like I am living in the places I visit, not being a tourist. That said, it doesn’t apply to my listing at all which is just a pitstop on a long road trip. As for being “market leader” I still talk to people every week who have never heard of it. Of course, the bigger it gets, the more push back there will be.
It’s just cheesy & silly, like most ads - you have to suspend thinking.
But I’m embarrassed to ask - is this shown on TV? I don’t watch commercial TV.
But really - find me someone who will spend all that money and sacred vacation time, go to Paris, then make an omelet and take a nap on the couch. They won’t go to the Louvre? The Arche? The Catacombs? The Unicorn Tapestries?! OK, maybe sit at a cafe for a few hours, but, nap in the house? Pshaw!!!
And show me a host who wants a guest napping on the couch all day.
It’s just trying to find an angle to sell the authentic experience of travel - to make it more hip and ‘better’ than what the wide & popular path. Blah Blah Blah…
What I miss are the different scenes on the website. We actually enjoyed watching them. Now it’s always that same one.
DC - Yes, it was on regular tv.
I thought the same thing. Who is going to travel all the way to another country and then all of a sudden live just a local because they rented a local’s home versus staying at a locally owned hotel room.
And tourists don’t always fit in with the local places anyway. Many people don’t want tourists intruding into their pubs and restaurants. Some business owners cater to locals and have no desire to attract tourists. They leave that to the business owners who desire tourists.
And how are you living like a local cooking the same eggs you make at home anyway? Wouldn’t you be out trying the local cuisine?
lol!!! Yes, somehow, flipping that omelet in an apartment in Paris will make is sooo coooooool. ha ha!!!
@cabinhost and @dcmooney They probably did this campaign based on surveys of tourists or airbnb guests. In 2009 when I went to Krakow I rented an apartment outside the central tourist district. Sure I spent all day sightseeing and going to Auschwitz (purpose of my trip) but I saved a lot of money having some meals in the apartment. I like local cuisine but I’m not a foodie. I like walking on the street and being mistaken for a native because I’m carrying a bag of groceries, lol.