Airbnb’s Successfully Charming PR Stunt

Airbnb Floating House on River Thames

Creative stunts have been deemed as a high-risk, high-reward feats. Marketing or PR stunts have the potential to make or break a company’s image and reputation. If executed correctly, the stunt could shoot the company’s brand into reshare trending heaven, but if the stunt fails to echo the brand’s cultural identity or offends consumers, serious rebranding efforts will be in order for quite some time. In the case of Airbnb’s floating house in London, this whimsical stunt resulted in high brand visibility.

First seen floating down the Thames in May of this year, the fully-functioning blue house was designed to raise awareness on London’s revised laws permitting Londoners to share their homes up to 90 days. This revision is celebratory news for Airbnb and locals! London is a top global tourist destination, and it is one of the most expensive cities to reside in, so  the legal rewrite will allow homeowners to make extra income and continue living in their homes.

In addition to promoting the new law, spectators who caught glimpse of the Airbnb abode, or shared a shot of it on Instagram, also had the opportunity to win a night’s stay inside with three guests. The competition was housed on the Airbnb website:

Overall, I would qualify the Airbnb stunt as successful. The campaign, although risky, was launched without a hitch, promotion of the floating house was done on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and the website, and it increased awareness of London’s new hospitality laws to locals with a fun twist. Most importantly, the entire concept aligned with Airbnb’s idea of belonging anywhere.

Questions for Thought:

How would you evaluate this creative stunt? Based on our previous discussions on brand and marketing integration, would you agree that this execution seamlessly blended in with the brand’s overall marketing strategy? How does this stunt boost Airbnb’s reputation among Londoners?

References:

Tate, A. (2015, May 18). This might be the most magical publicity stunt ever. Refinery 29. Retrieved from  http://www.refinery29.com/airbnb-floating-house

Tomaeno, E. (2015, August 3). Marketing stunts: The risks and rewards you need to consider. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248496