Web-based property rental marketplace Airbnb wants to prove that holidays are better with its service in a brand-new Christmas campaign.
Airbnb’s first holiday commercial, animated by global creative agency Buck, spotlights the perks of staying in one of their home rentals over a hotel by creatively reimagining Christmas Eve through the eyes of Santa Claus.
Part of its ongoing "Get an Airbnb" campaign launched last year, the "Santastrophe" narrative unfolds in rhyming verse inspired by "A Visit from St. Nicholas."
Playful and inventive, the spot shows Santa's struggles in "Santa-proof" hotels: having to go through air vents and cramped elevators, navigating the hotel lobby, and obtaining key cards just to do yearly duty.
These humorous hurdles contrast with the warm and welcoming scenes of an Airbnb stay.
An Airbnb spokesperson explained how the ad, conceptualized entirely by its in-house creative team, showcases the ways Airbnb can make the holiday season even more joyful:
“With many families preparing to travel this holiday, this newest ad in our ‘Get an Airbnb’ campaign shows how staying on Airbnb is Santa friendly, with many homes featuring room for a tree or a fully functioning chimney.”
Santa's red coat, accented with gold stitching shaped like the Airbnb Belo logo, is a hidden detail sure to delight eagle-eyed viewers.
The creative team also included nods to magical realism, like a bellhop’s scarf and hat subtly reappearing as part of a snowman in the ad’s final scene.
By framing Airbnb as "Santa-approved," the campaign underscores the platform’s ability to not only provide a stress-free holiday experience but also enhance Christmas celebrations worldwide.
The campaign also reflects Airbnb’s brand identity as a home-away-from-home solution, emphasizing comfort and personalization during the holidays.
Gabriel Shaoolian, founder and CEO of Digital Silk, commented on the usage of subtle visuals and their effect on brand identity.
"Subtle visual details, like the Airbnb Belo logo on Santa’s coat, act as subconscious reinforcements of brand identity. These elements weave the brand into the narrative without being overly promotional, enhancing recall and establishing emotional connections with the audience. It's a clever way to integrate branding into storytelling while keeping the focus on the campaign’s message."
Santa Claus is Coming to… Your Airbnb
"Santastrophe" is narrated throughout by a warm female voice and is set to the classic tune of Run-D.M.C.'s song "Christmas In Hollis."
It all begins “somewhere atop a hotel” on Christmas Eve, where Santa prepares to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls.
However, the hotel appeared to be "Santa-proof," giving the bearded man a hard time entering the tight air vents.
Instead, he goes through the front door and into the hotel lobby, where he lines up at the front desk, waits to get on a lift, and struggles with an erroring key card and a door chained from the inside.
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The scene transitions as the room layout magically shifts into a cozy house with a chimney — an Airbnb, of course.
Sliding down the chimney, he leaves presents under the tree before disappearing back up, just as a child comes downstairs to discover the gifts.
The spot ends with Santa flying off into the night as the tagline appears on screen: “Some trips are merrier in an Airbnb.”
Previously, Airbnb launched a campaign inviting guests to stay in pop-culture-inspired houses, including Pixar's "Up" floating house and Marvel's X-Men mansion.
