Airbnb's advertisement from New Year’s Eve in 2014, titled “One Less Stranger,” aimed to start a campaign focused on making the world a whole lot closer. Airbnb's goal was to make the world a place where all seven billion human beings could belong anywhere, one less stranger at a time. Keeping that identity in mind, the video ad manages to convey the message with subtle strength.
The video features AirBnb’s Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky speaking to the camera in conversational and friendly tone. He tells viewers about his vision for Airbnb, and that it involves ridding the world of strangers. He also describes the campaign in detail, explaining that Airbnb would be donating a million dollars to the Airbnb community, giving each Airbnb user a chance to carry out a random act of hospitality towards a stranger. He then urges the viewers to take a photo or video of this act of hospitality, and post it on social media using the hashtag #OneLessStranger.
As he speaks, the video switches to clips of strangers becoming friends, while Chesky’s voice still plays in the background. The musical score used is also in tune with the action being carried out on screen and enhances the viewing experience. The visuals are engaging and compelling, as well as completely on brand with the theme of the video. The technique and editing are excellent, ensuring that each and every clip contributes to the video. The writing is crisp, clear and concise, giving complete information as well as telling a story in an engaging manner. The length of the video, at 1:12, is ideal -- not too short and not too long, but just right. Overall, Airbnb's video does a great job of explaining the #OneLessStranger campaign in a memorable and unique manner.
An Invitation From Brian Chesky #OneLessStranger is a great commercial video.
