Airbnb takes over MRT stations, trains in Singapore

The posters and hoardings plastered across certain MRT stations and five trains on the city’s busy East-West line highlight the rental service’s travel experiences via the use of vivid photography. Airbnb has also used bus shelters and multiple digital channels including display networks and social media.

The OOH campaign, developed by TBWA Singapore, will run for a month and is part of a broader three-month marketing initiative. 

In May, Airbnb launched its first global campaign across nine markets including Singapore, South Korea, Japan and China on digital and mobile. The campaign, explaining Airbnb’s model, ran on AFAR, YouTube, Dwell, Lonely Planet, BBC, Facebook, Twitter and Buzzfeed. This was a considerable departure for a brand that had typically relied on direct response and Facebook ads to market itself.

The holiday rental site is seeing record growth in Asia. Airbnb said it has “far more than doubled” the number of Airbnb travelers out of Singapore in the last year alone. “Singapore travelers are savvy and are increasingly seeking out unique local experiences,” said JJ Chai, the firm’s regional director for Southeast Asia. “Campaigns like this one help to showcase the variety of unique accommodation options provided by us.”

Other Asian countries are also doing well for Airbnb. South Korea, for example, has grown more than 400 per cent in terms of outbound travellers using Airbnb and 300 per cent in inbound. The inbound numbers are even higher for Japan, which saw 400 per cent growth. China though remains the prized jewel, accounting for the largest share of global tourism.

Airbnb recently showed its commitment to the region by hiring Unilever executive Matthias Schuecking to lead marketing efforts for all of Asia-Pacific.