You may not have seen Airbnb’s newest advertising campaigns — and that’s by design. Many of these ads are targeted locally, run on digital platforms, or are shown to specific audiences. But even if you haven’t come across them, they play a big role in Airbnb’s strategy this year.
In both its Q2 2025 Shareholder Letter and earnings call, Airbnb made it clear: these ad campaigns aren’t just for awareness. They are built to support the company’s three new strategic pillars, and they’re already showing real results — especially in places like Japan.
Let’s look at how these ad campaigns actually support Airbnb’s three core goals, and why they matter for you as a vacation rental manager.
🔹 Pillar 1: Perfect Our Core Service
This pillar is about improving the experience of using Airbnb — for guests and for hosts. That means clearer tools, faster bookings, simpler onboarding, and better customer support.
What are the ads?
Airbnb has launched a group of ads designed to speak to occasional or new hosts — especially those who are just starting or only rent out occasionally.
- One ad, known internally as “On the House”, shows a family leaving town and renting their home while they’re away. It suggests that hosting doesn’t have to be a full-time job.
- Another ad, “Sidekick”, introduces the idea of a co-host — someone who can help manage the home if the primary host is too busy or unsure about how to start.
- A third ad, “Work Trip”, targets people traveling for business, showing how they can rent out their own place while they’re away.
Why it matters:
These ads lower the entry barrier to hosting and reflect Airbnb’s broader strategy — especially around big events like sports tournaments and concerts, where the company is working to recruit short-term, situational hosts. For vacation rental managers, this growing pool of casual hosts could become clients or co-hosting partners.
Airbnb is also nudging all hosts toward app-based tools and automation — systems that professional managers already use, but which Airbnb now wants to scale to part-time hosts too.
🔹 Pillar 2: Expand Beyond the Core
This is Airbnb’s effort to grow beyond just booking homes. The company wants Experiences — like guided tours, cooking classes, and concerts — and Services — like hiring a photographer or chef — to become serious sources of business.
What are the ads?
Airbnb has launched a series of travel ads focused not on where you stay, but on what you do. These are Experience-focused, city-specific ads with lines like:
- “Don’t just see Venice. Experience it with the locals.”
- “Don’t just visit Lisbon. Discover it with someone who lives there.”
These ads use fast-cut clips with a homemade, social-media style. They feature hosts leading travelers through unique activities: cooking, surfing, art walks — not polished tourism footage.
Why it matters:
Airbnb is trying to change how guests think about the platform. They want people to come not just for a bed, but for meaningful time. That has direct business implications — because now Airbnb can earn from more than just the overnight stay.
Even if you’re not offering Experiences yet, this push could affect your business in two ways:
- It may change traveler expectations — guests may expect a fuller, curated trip.
- Airbnb may encourage property managers to bundle or partner with local Experiences and Services in the future.
Also important: Airbnb says Experiences and Services are being vetted more strictly than homes, and that early ratings are very high — averaging 4.93 out of 5.
🔹 Pillar 3: Accelerate Growth in Global Markets
This new pillar was previously buried under other goals, but Airbnb has now elevated it. The company wants to grow in underpenetrated or strategically important countries — and advertising plays a big part.
What are the ads?
Airbnb ran a targeted campaign in Japan, focused on domestic travelers. Instead of just promoting international tourism, they created Japanese-language ads that encouraged locals to explore their own country through Airbnb — with a focus on Experiences and cultural activities.
What happened next?
- Japan saw one of the highest jumps in first-time bookers.
- Airbnb reported strong growth in brand awareness in the country.
- It became the example Brian Chesky cited when investors asked how well these new campaigns are working.
Why it matters:
This is a proof point. Airbnb is showing that with the right local message, it can grow even in markets where homes are tightly regulated. Experiences — which are less affected by housing laws — can act as a backdoor into difficult markets. If Airbnb succeeds in turning Japan into a full-scale Airbnb market again, other regions may follow — especially Europe, where regulatory pressure is strong.
🔍 Final Takeaway: These Ads Are Strategy, Not Just Storytelling
| Pillar | How the Ads Support It |
|---|---|
| Perfect the Core | Attract new hosts through real-life use cases; promote co-hosting and ease-of-use. |
| Expand Beyond Core | Put Experiences front and center, shift guest mindset beyond homes. |
| Accelerate Global Markets | Use local campaigns (Japan) to activate new guest and host segments. |
If you’re managing properties in a competitive or regulated market, these ads show where Airbnb’s energy is going: more casual supply, more cross-sell, and more localization. You may not have seen the ads, but your future bookings — and your future competition — could be shaped by them.
