Before you view VCCP Berlin’s new campaign for Airbnb, you have to read the YouTube blurb. Or you won’t believe the story. “In May 2012, an Airbnb guest, Cathrine, told us a powerful story of a trip she took to Berlin with her father, Jörg, a Berlin Wall guard at the height of the Cold War. She wanted to show him the vibrant city Berlin had become, but it was the man they met at their Airbnb apartment that changed everything for Jörg. Discover more at http://belonganywhere.com.”
The man Jörg met had been the guard on the opposite – East Berlin – side of the wall to him, Kai.
VCCP Berlin is making really good use of the 25th anniversary of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall on November 9 1989, for client Airbnb.
As well as the 75 second animated video, Wall and Chain, there’s a microsite that holds content about Berlin and interviews with the people involved in the story.
“The film is a testament to the power of hospitality and resilience of the human spirit,” Airbnb wrote about the film on its campaign website.
Airbnb chief marketing officer, Jonathan Mildenhall stated, “Great content and storytelling is so important now for any brand. As a community-driven company, we don’t want to just talk about our product, but instead put our community front and center of any campaign. Stories like that of Joerg and Kai bring our mission of belonging to life, and capture the spirit of Airbnb, in a totally unique and authentic way.”
As well as being promoted through online and social channels, the film will be broadcast on US TV networks, including NBC and CNN, alongside relevant programming about the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The film was animated by Psyop in New York.
