It took 2,400 craftsmen hours to create the miniature train set world that underscores “the feeling you get while travelling with Airbnb”.

The Airbnb ad’s documentary style voiceover won’t set the world on fire, but its idea depends on visual wow factor. And that has been achieved.

The idea is that, “When we travel, the world around us gets smaller. Friendships are made on the fly, landscapes are explored, and new experiences are found around every corner. And when you stay in an Airbnb listing, this small world feeling is amplified immeasurably.”

So Airbnb created a fantastic handmade world – in miniature. And the ad is like a train ride through it.

The film was shot in one take and without any computer generated imagery. 30 people spent five weeks building the 85 square metre train set that is the heart of the production. More than 2400 craftsmen hours were spent creating a landscape out of 20 square metres of plywood, 12 litres of glue and more than 160 sheets of poly board. create this video, 96 figurines were made – including 6 miniatures of real Airbnb guests and 2 dogs.

“As you board the train in this film, you’re transported into a magical world that represents the very heart of Airbnb. As you wind your way through some of the amazing listings Airbnb has to offer, you get a different perspective on the world. With each viewing, you see something unique and interesting that you didn’t notice before, mirroring the experience that many people have when they travel with Airbnb,” Jonathan Mildenhall, Airbnb’s chief marketing officer, commented.

Fun Facts:

–          “Welcome to Airbnb” was shot in a 40 x 40 metre warehouse in Auckland, New Zealand

–          9 “Cirkus artists” (animation house, Cirkus New Zealand) mechanically moved all the transitions, by hand, as the train moved along the full length of the track

–          The castle was 3D printed and then hand painted brick by brick

–          Miniature modellers and model painters created more than 100 unique trees, more than 60 hand-cut houses and 240 tailor-made miniature flowers, grasses and shrubs

–          96 figurines were made – including 6 miniatures of real Airbnb guests and 2 dogs

–          The film features seven different lighting environments, all happening ‘live’ at the same time

–          On the day of the shoot, 85 attempts were made to shoot the whole film, which is just one take – there were plenty more rehearsals

–          18 tables were used to raise the full length train track

Credits:

Inhouse Lead Airbnb: Matthias Schuecking, Head of Marketing APAC

Agency: TBWA\Singapore

Creative director: Gary Steel

Art director: Nuno Teixeira

Copywriter: James Holmes

Production: Six Toes TV Singapore

Executive producer: Haydn Evans

Animation production: Cirkus Film

Director: Christian Greet

Producer: Marko Klijn

Video seeding: Unruly