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Airbnb is hanging with the stars and wants to bring newbies along for the plane ride.
The online marketplace for house and vacation rentals has launched Icons, a new category of experiences influenced (and some even hosted) by big names in music, film, television, art, sports and more. Airbnb guests will get the chance to experience culture like the Disney Pixar Up house in New Mexico, the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy or the iconic clock room of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
The new experiences, and accompanying major marketing push, are a heavy global awareness play to bring the brand top of mind for users looking to travel—specifically those experiencing Airbnb for the first time. Through a mix of market data and identifying chatter-generating cultural moments, the brand is primarily creating these experiences to drive higher consideration for consumers new to Airbnb.
The rollout comes as Airbnb faces more scrutiny from cities attempting to restrict housing units being used solely for Airbnbs, as well as consumers growing weary of the fees and cleaning responsibilities associated with staying in an Airbnb.
Different people, different places
Aside from partnering with major IPs like Pixar, Marvel and Prince, the brand is offering guests the opportunity to go international and stay with global stars like Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor, reggaeton superstar Feid and TikTok gaming sensation Khaby Lame.
Airbnb global head of marketing Hiroki Asai said Icons is the brand’s way of reaching new fanbases, demographics and age groups. The platform is currently active in over 200 countries and 81,000 cities.
