With its Icons Campaign, Airbnb Stays Top of Mind with Audiences

You can book a weekend in the house from Up.

Or spend a night at the Ferrari Museum. Or stay in Prince’s Purple Rain house.

Airbnb recently announced nearly a dozen “Icon” experiences.

The company calls the promo “a new category of extraordinary experiences hosted by the greatest names in music, film, television, art, sports, and more.”

It’s an extensive (and expensive) campaign involving major partnerships and impressive construction details. The Up house is really in the air and the X-Men 97 mansion looks two-dimensional.

Users can request to book any of the experiences, and a lucky few will receive a golden ticket and a chance to schedule a stay.

Image via Airbnb

Check-Out Time

It’s not the first time the homestay marketplace has used famous destinations to boost brand awareness. Last summer, Airbnb partnered with Mattel to create Barbie Malibu DreamHouse. That listing got more coverage than Airbnb’s IPO.

With the latest push, the company is formalizing its “Icons” campaign. It has garnered a lot of successful media attention and plenty of buzz on social media in the process.

The rollout was also an effective way to increase coverage for more conventional announcements, like new features for group trips and upgrades for hosts.

It’s a clever brand awareness tactic that captures the imagination around the potential of Airbnb’s offering.

Airbnb is smart to work to stay on customers’ radar. They face a challenge similar to a lot of brands, especially those with expensive offerings or infrequent sales cycles. Here’s how founder and CEO Brian Chesky puts it:

“Most people only ever open our app once or twice a year, and we’ve got to battle to make sure they think of us every single year. So this keeps us top of mind and culturally relevant.”