Airbnb today (May 13) introduced new services, reimagined experiences and a refreshed app that offer travelers more than just a place to stay, per details shared with Marketing Dive. To educate consumers about the new features, the booking platform has revealed a new ad and a social-first marketing strategy.
Founded in 2008 as a marketplace for short-term rentals, the company has revolutionized travel — and faced its share of controversy — but notched more than $11 billion in revenue in 2024. The new launches recognize that consumers’ travel needs often extend beyond an apartment or vacation home.
Airbnb Services look to replicate or build on the offerings of traditional hotels, including spa treatments; hair, makeup and nails; photography; and catering, prepared meals and on-site chefs. Airbnb Experiences is a relaunch of a current product that looks to meet travelers on the ground, and is at the heart of the company’s latest marketing efforts.
“Airbnb has always been about connecting people to the authentic version of communities and places,” said Hiroki Asai, global head of marketing for the company. “The way we’ve executed experiences is actually more a representation of the brand than even just homes are, and so the combination of the two really delivers on the promise of the original brand.”
More adventure, less checklist
At the heart of Airbnb’s latest marketing push is a 60-second spot, “The Grand Adventure,” that unravels an animated storybook about travel, from the carriage rides, steam locomotives and grand ocean liners of the past to the hallmarks of contemporary travel that feel like “less of an adventure [and] more of a checklist.”
The ad positions Airbnb Experiences as a gateway to a “world full of wonder” where travelers can cook ramen with master chefs, explore with anthropologists and listen to jazz with musicians. The spot will air on TV, streaming and online in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, China and Korea throughout the summer.
“The illustration style we used was a great way for positioning us as an alternative to hotels, because it is a little bit of a conceptual argument. Trading in that fanciful way is a great way to deliver it without sounding like a pedantic school teacher,” Asai said. “We wanted to reveal this magical world that’s out there, outside of the beaten path.”
