In May 2022, Airbnb launched Categories, a tool that distinguishes types of destinations by 56 different criteria, including style, design and nearby activities. The release was billed as “A new Airbnb for a new world of travel,” as well as the company’s biggest change in a decade.
Airbnb understands Categories goes against the grain of how people have typically searched for vacations by relying on travel sites such as Expedia or TripAdvisor. “This is going to take some retraining for everything to go from step three to step one,” Chesky said in the third-quarter earnings call.
Marketing has thus played a key role in showing consumers what’s now possible on the platform. Soon after the launch of Categories, Airbnb rolled out a campaign that highlighted various vacation scenarios, such as camping and staying in a castle. Each offering was depicted in a 30-second spot that ran on national TV, as well as streaming services and digital and social channels. Created in-house, with media duties handled by Essence Global, the ads emphasized memory-making through real photographs from Airbnb customers and emotive music.
Media Campaign (May 2022-Present)
Voicemail | Islands Categories
