In the beginning, two friends opened their door.
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When COVID struck in 2019, Airbnb's business was decimated. Global travel essentially stopped, and, in eight weeks, Airbnb lost 80% of its revenue. By May of 2020, earnings were forecast to be half of what they were a year prior. This is not, perhaps, the prelude you might expect for the biggest IPO in history. But Airbnb has always been different.
Near the end of Q1 2020, some unusual trends emerged. People felt safer in a home than a hotel, and they started booking long-term stays at places nearby. Those who could work from anywhere started doing so...in an Airbnb. And when lockdowns lifted, demand surged to historic levels, and a trend known as revenge travel became a thing.
All of this economic activity led to a phenomenal spike in revenue and set the stage for a powerful IPO story. As a community-driven superbrand, Airbnb's business showed resilience and adaptability. After all, its marketplace is made up of people like you and me, and people will always find a way to survive and thrive in a crisis.
And to think– this all started with two guys who were looking for a way to pay rent.
Project
IPO
Brand
Category
Campaign
Released
Dec 2020
Recognition
Context
When COVID struck in 2019, Airbnb's business was decimated. Global travel essentially stopped, and, in eight weeks, Airbnb lost 80% of its revenue. By May of 2020, earnings were forecast to be half of what they were a year prior. This is not, perhaps, the prelude you might expect for the biggest IPO in history. But Airbnb has always been different.
Near the end of Q1 2020, some unusual trends emerged. People felt safer in a home than a hotel, and they started booking long-term stays at places nearby. Those who could work from anywhere started doing so...in an Airbnb. And when lockdowns lifted, demand surged to historic levels, and a trend known as revenge travel became a thing.
All of this economic activity led to a phenomenal spike in revenue and set the stage for a powerful IPO story. As a community-driven superbrand, Airbnb's business showed resilience and adaptability. After all, its marketplace is made up of people like you and me, and people will always find a way to survive and thrive in a crisis.
And to think– this all started with two guys who were looking for a way to pay rent.
more
Airbnb
IPO
In the beginning, two friends opened their door.
Highlights
Commercial
Bells Campaign
Close Modal
Commercial
Bells Campaign
On our listing day, as we officially become a publicly held company, Airbnb asked a number of its hosts to help them ring the famous opening bell by ringing in their own unique doorbells.
Following a global production that captured hosts from each time zone around the world, we aired a commercial that celebrates the community that makes Airbnb what it is today.
“The ability to recover from stress is better in natural settings, because that’s where we are meant to be. Just the idea of getting out, being in nature, looking at a tree—the theory is that this helps you to recover from stress, improves your mental health, and improves cognition. It’s just a direct pathway.”
Peter James, PhD
Quantifying Nature
"Nature experience boosts memory, attention and creativity as well as happiness, social engagement and a sense of meaning in life. It might not surprise us that nature stimulates physical activity, but the associated health benefits – from reducing cancer risks to promoting metabolic and other functioning – are really quite astonishing.”
Gretchen Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Science
National Academy of Sciences
"Allowing children time for unstructured activities in nature seemed beneficial for children's positive affect, attitudes towards nature, and pro-sociality. These findings seem especially relevant given that free play outdoors in nature is declining.”
John Zelenski, PhD
Journal of Environmental Psychology
“Experiencing awe in nature is a powerful way to impact people’s psychology, even as they’re doing something they really like to do. Our findings suggest that you don’t have to do extravagant, extraordinary experiences in nature to feel awe or to get benefits. By taking a few minutes to enjoy flowers that are blooming or a sunset in your day-to-day life, you also improve your well-being.”
Craig Anderson, PhD
Awe in Nature Heals
"There is ample data to suggest that having good social relationships is helpful for our psychological and physical health. Having a ‘good relationship’ with nature, or rather, a sense of close connection to it, may be helpful in a similar way or for similar reasons. We evolved to want to connect—with people, but also with places and other living things."
Cynthia Frantz, PhD
Why is Nature Beneficial? The Role of Connectedness to Nature
"Nature therapy as a health-promotion method and potential universal health model is implicated for the reduction of reported modern-day “stress-state” and “technostress.”"
Harumi Ikei, PhD, Chuba University
Psychological Effects of Nature Therapy
IPO
Roadshow
Close Modal
IPO
Roadshow
On the surface, people come to Airbnb for travel. But below the surface, what people find on Airbnb is connection. They connect to the communities they visit and the people who live there. Hosts deliver this connection, and for guests it can be a deeply personal experience – they are welcomed into someone’s home, and they live in hosts’ communities.
Travel is enduring because it is fundamentally about human connections. And while travel is changing, human connections are now needed more than ever.
“The ability to recover from stress is better in natural settings, because that’s where we are meant to be. Just the idea of getting out, being in nature, looking at a tree—the theory is that this helps you to recover from stress, improves your mental health, and improves cognition. It’s just a direct pathway.”
Peter James, PhD
Quantifying Nature
"Nature experience boosts memory, attention and creativity as well as happiness, social engagement and a sense of meaning in life. It might not surprise us that nature stimulates physical activity, but the associated health benefits – from reducing cancer risks to promoting metabolic and other functioning – are really quite astonishing.”
Gretchen Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Science
National Academy of Sciences
"Allowing children time for unstructured activities in nature seemed beneficial for children's positive affect, attitudes towards nature, and pro-sociality. These findings seem especially relevant given that free play outdoors in nature is declining.”
John Zelenski, PhD
Journal of Environmental Psychology
“Experiencing awe in nature is a powerful way to impact people’s psychology, even as they’re doing something they really like to do. Our findings suggest that you don’t have to do extravagant, extraordinary experiences in nature to feel awe or to get benefits. By taking a few minutes to enjoy flowers that are blooming or a sunset in your day-to-day life, you also improve your well-being.”
Craig Anderson, PhD
Awe in Nature Heals
"There is ample data to suggest that having good social relationships is helpful for our psychological and physical health. Having a ‘good relationship’ with nature, or rather, a sense of close connection to it, may be helpful in a similar way or for similar reasons. We evolved to want to connect—with people, but also with places and other living things."
Cynthia Frantz, PhD
Why is Nature Beneficial? The Role of Connectedness to Nature
"Nature therapy as a health-promotion method and potential universal health model is implicated for the reduction of reported modern-day “stress-state” and “technostress.”"
Harumi Ikei, PhD, Chuba University
Psychological Effects of Nature Therapy
Design
Animation
Close Modal
Design
Animation
Part of the Roadshow Film required telling the founding story— a tribute to Airbnb's humble origins in Brian and Joe's small San Francisco apartment. We partnered with Buck to animate this storyline in a cool, modern graphic-novel style.
“The ability to recover from stress is better in natural settings, because that’s where we are meant to be. Just the idea of getting out, being in nature, looking at a tree—the theory is that this helps you to recover from stress, improves your mental health, and improves cognition. It’s just a direct pathway.”
Peter James, PhD
Quantifying Nature
"Nature experience boosts memory, attention and creativity as well as happiness, social engagement and a sense of meaning in life. It might not surprise us that nature stimulates physical activity, but the associated health benefits – from reducing cancer risks to promoting metabolic and other functioning – are really quite astonishing.”
Gretchen Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Science
National Academy of Sciences
"Allowing children time for unstructured activities in nature seemed beneficial for children's positive affect, attitudes towards nature, and pro-sociality. These findings seem especially relevant given that free play outdoors in nature is declining.”
John Zelenski, PhD
Journal of Environmental Psychology
“Experiencing awe in nature is a powerful way to impact people’s psychology, even as they’re doing something they really like to do. Our findings suggest that you don’t have to do extravagant, extraordinary experiences in nature to feel awe or to get benefits. By taking a few minutes to enjoy flowers that are blooming or a sunset in your day-to-day life, you also improve your well-being.”
Craig Anderson, PhD
Awe in Nature Heals
"There is ample data to suggest that having good social relationships is helpful for our psychological and physical health. Having a ‘good relationship’ with nature, or rather, a sense of close connection to it, may be helpful in a similar way or for similar reasons. We evolved to want to connect—with people, but also with places and other living things."
Cynthia Frantz, PhD
Why is Nature Beneficial? The Role of Connectedness to Nature
"Nature therapy as a health-promotion method and potential universal health model is implicated for the reduction of reported modern-day “stress-state” and “technostress.”"
Harumi Ikei, PhD, Chuba University
Psychological Effects of Nature Therapy
Commercial
Bells Campaign
On our listing day, as we officially become a publicly held company, Airbnb asked a number of its hosts to help them ring the famous opening bell by ringing in their own unique doorbells.
Following a global production that captured hosts from each time zone around the world, we aired a commercial that celebrates the community that makes Airbnb what it is today.
“The ability to recover from stress is better in natural settings, because that’s where we are meant to be. Just the idea of getting out, being in nature, looking at a tree—the theory is that this helps you to recover from stress, improves your mental health, and improves cognition. It’s just a direct pathway.”
Peter James, PhD
Quantifying Nature
"Nature experience boosts memory, attention and creativity as well as happiness, social engagement and a sense of meaning in life. It might not surprise us that nature stimulates physical activity, but the associated health benefits – from reducing cancer risks to promoting metabolic and other functioning – are really quite astonishing.”
Gretchen Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Science
National Academy of Sciences
"Allowing children time for unstructured activities in nature seemed beneficial for children's positive affect, attitudes towards nature, and pro-sociality. These findings seem especially relevant given that free play outdoors in nature is declining.”
John Zelenski, PhD
Journal of Environmental Psychology
“Experiencing awe in nature is a powerful way to impact people’s psychology, even as they’re doing something they really like to do. Our findings suggest that you don’t have to do extravagant, extraordinary experiences in nature to feel awe or to get benefits. By taking a few minutes to enjoy flowers that are blooming or a sunset in your day-to-day life, you also improve your well-being.”
Craig Anderson, PhD
Awe in Nature Heals
"There is ample data to suggest that having good social relationships is helpful for our psychological and physical health. Having a ‘good relationship’ with nature, or rather, a sense of close connection to it, may be helpful in a similar way or for similar reasons. We evolved to want to connect—with people, but also with places and other living things."
Cynthia Frantz, PhD
Why is Nature Beneficial? The Role of Connectedness to Nature
"Nature therapy as a health-promotion method and potential universal health model is implicated for the reduction of reported modern-day “stress-state” and “technostress.”"
Harumi Ikei, PhD, Chuba University
Psychological Effects of Nature Therapy
IPO
Roadshow
On the surface, people come to Airbnb for travel. But below the surface, what people find on Airbnb is connection. They connect to the communities they visit and the people who live there. Hosts deliver this connection, and for guests it can be a deeply personal experience – they are welcomed into someone’s home, and they live in hosts’ communities.
Travel is enduring because it is fundamentally about human connections. And while travel is changing, human connections are now needed more than ever.
“The ability to recover from stress is better in natural settings, because that’s where we are meant to be. Just the idea of getting out, being in nature, looking at a tree—the theory is that this helps you to recover from stress, improves your mental health, and improves cognition. It’s just a direct pathway.”
Peter James, PhD
Quantifying Nature
"Nature experience boosts memory, attention and creativity as well as happiness, social engagement and a sense of meaning in life. It might not surprise us that nature stimulates physical activity, but the associated health benefits – from reducing cancer risks to promoting metabolic and other functioning – are really quite astonishing.”
Gretchen Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Science
National Academy of Sciences
"Allowing children time for unstructured activities in nature seemed beneficial for children's positive affect, attitudes towards nature, and pro-sociality. These findings seem especially relevant given that free play outdoors in nature is declining.”
John Zelenski, PhD
Journal of Environmental Psychology
“Experiencing awe in nature is a powerful way to impact people’s psychology, even as they’re doing something they really like to do. Our findings suggest that you don’t have to do extravagant, extraordinary experiences in nature to feel awe or to get benefits. By taking a few minutes to enjoy flowers that are blooming or a sunset in your day-to-day life, you also improve your well-being.”
Craig Anderson, PhD
Awe in Nature Heals
"There is ample data to suggest that having good social relationships is helpful for our psychological and physical health. Having a ‘good relationship’ with nature, or rather, a sense of close connection to it, may be helpful in a similar way or for similar reasons. We evolved to want to connect—with people, but also with places and other living things."
Cynthia Frantz, PhD
Why is Nature Beneficial? The Role of Connectedness to Nature
"Nature therapy as a health-promotion method and potential universal health model is implicated for the reduction of reported modern-day “stress-state” and “technostress.”"
Harumi Ikei, PhD, Chuba University
Psychological Effects of Nature Therapy
Design
Animation
Part of the Roadshow Film required telling the founding story— a tribute to Airbnb's humble origins in Brian and Joe's small San Francisco apartment. We partnered with Buck to animate this storyline in a cool, modern graphic-novel style.
“The ability to recover from stress is better in natural settings, because that’s where we are meant to be. Just the idea of getting out, being in nature, looking at a tree—the theory is that this helps you to recover from stress, improves your mental health, and improves cognition. It’s just a direct pathway.”
Peter James, PhD
Quantifying Nature
"Nature experience boosts memory, attention and creativity as well as happiness, social engagement and a sense of meaning in life. It might not surprise us that nature stimulates physical activity, but the associated health benefits – from reducing cancer risks to promoting metabolic and other functioning – are really quite astonishing.”
Gretchen Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Science
National Academy of Sciences
"Allowing children time for unstructured activities in nature seemed beneficial for children's positive affect, attitudes towards nature, and pro-sociality. These findings seem especially relevant given that free play outdoors in nature is declining.”
John Zelenski, PhD
Journal of Environmental Psychology
“Experiencing awe in nature is a powerful way to impact people’s psychology, even as they’re doing something they really like to do. Our findings suggest that you don’t have to do extravagant, extraordinary experiences in nature to feel awe or to get benefits. By taking a few minutes to enjoy flowers that are blooming or a sunset in your day-to-day life, you also improve your well-being.”
Craig Anderson, PhD
Awe in Nature Heals
"There is ample data to suggest that having good social relationships is helpful for our psychological and physical health. Having a ‘good relationship’ with nature, or rather, a sense of close connection to it, may be helpful in a similar way or for similar reasons. We evolved to want to connect—with people, but also with places and other living things."
Cynthia Frantz, PhD
Why is Nature Beneficial? The Role of Connectedness to Nature
"Nature therapy as a health-promotion method and potential universal health model is implicated for the reduction of reported modern-day “stress-state” and “technostress.”"
Harumi Ikei, PhD, Chuba University
Psychological Effects of Nature Therapy
