Airbnb amplifies global ‘Live There’ campaign with interactive cinema push and Shoreditch pop-up
Airbnb is working to build upon the success of its first major global campaign via a series of interactive social and digital activations imploring customers to 'live like a local' when they go on holiday.
Airbnb is pushing its 'Live There' campaign globally / Airbnb
This weekend the brand unveiled a split-screen cinema ad to contrast its community-driven rental service with “cookie-cutter travel” industry standards. The first-of-its kind ‘double feature’ cinema experience employed ’37 Degrees’ technology to separate 2D images, allowing viewers to see frames simultaneously depending on their chosen perspective.
Using specialised bifocal glasses that make use of adapted 3D technology the ad gave viewers an insight into the contrast between living like a local and living like a tourist.
The unique technology is difficult to illustrate online, but in cinemas this weekend an onscreen message prompted the audience to put on the glasses and tilt them up and down to 'change' experiences. The original ad can be seen in full below.
Finch, an Australian production company comprised of film-makers, producers, and engineers, has created the special cinema technology, which was debuted internationally during showings of Finding Dory and Independence Day.
The partnership with Finch was brokered by Starcom Mediavest as another way for Airbnb to continue to leverage new media and emerging technology to extend into new markets.
The brand’s original ‘Live There’ series was developed by TBWA\Chiat\Day and focuses on the travel startup’s three most popular cities – Paris, Tokyo and LA.
“We want to offer travelers unique experiences that transcend cookie-cutter travel, going beyond traditional industry standards,” said Rachael Haley, brand media manager at Airbnb.
“When we first started thinking about how to show the impact of different ways of travel, we wanted to choose a medium that would create a transformative experience. By partnering with Finch, we can make this dream a reality through its groundbreaking technology to create an engaging experience that brings our unique proposition to life.”
In addition to the cinema activations, Airbnb last week launched a localised campaign in the form of a pop-up ‘Live There’ house in Shoreditch.
Supported by a social media initiative dubbed #DingDong, the stunt called on visitors and Londoners to veer off the typical tourist trail.
Based in a London townhouse, the push moved the campaign into a physical space, bringing the giving experiential insight into a cross-section of ‘authentic’ London life. It was transformed by Airbnb and AKQA, offering a wide range of immersive features spanning Londoners’ many passion points from food to music.
Those who were unable to attend the event in person were encouraged to tweet #DingDong for bespoke tips on what to do in London from genuine locals. Airbnb enlisted the help of 11 London hosts and 25 influencers to respond to the tweets via a series of bespoke videos posted in real-time.
Over 1,400 guests rang the doorbell and were welcomed into the Live There house during the four days it was open.
Last week, the founder and chief executive Airbnb revealed his desire for the platform to be seen as a media owner amongst creative agencies and brand marketers.