Lessons from a multi-billion dollar brand for any budget
What You Can learn from a brand with a huge budget and apply to your own marketing on ANY budget…
I recently saw an ad for a huge brand that really stood out. This is saying a lot during our current over-saturated ad market. We’re constantly bombarded with pop-ups, notifications, sponsored ads, and countless other marketing ‘reminders’. I’m not hating on it – Remember, I’m a marketer myself. But this particular advertisement made me pay attention. And it made me take action (like write this blog!).
Wanna know what made this one creative concept cut through the noise?
People sharing a human experience. That’s it! Real people enjoying their vacations in a real, raw, and relatable way.
The series of ads feature photos from vacations where families and friends are exploring unusual destinations while laughing, playing and spending quality time together.
Another memorable part of these ads is the music – clearly, these folks have a great taste in music and see how valuable it can be to tell a story. Some of the tracks include Jay-Z’s “Bonnie & Clyde” where we follow an elderly couple on their vacation. Another song, “Time Warp” from the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, plays over a series of images of a family exploring what looks like a spaceship – a fun spin on lodging under the ‘OMG’ category.
The cool spin on this particular ad is that the photos aren’t perfect – they look like dad or mom snapped them while enjoying the moment. They’re not crisp or look staged. Some have weird lighting and others are blurry – what a perfect touch to make this even more relatable.
Have you guessed the ad campaign or the big brand yet? If you clicked on any of the links above you know that I’m talking about the new ads for Airbnb.
Let me break down how you, a business owner with a product or a service to sell, can apply these key elements to your own marketing on any budget. (I’m assuming you don’t have millions of dollars to spend on advertising).
Choose a platform
In this case, Airbnb was advertising on TV. But maybe you don’t have TV ad spend dollars. Try literally any other visual platform where (and this is important) –
1. You show up somewhat consistently (so your audience can expect to see you there and learn from you).
2. A platform where you know your audience hangs out.
This will likely lead you to either YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or TikTok. Yes, the power of QUALITY content is alive and well on these channels. Why do you think some people enjoy massive success there? Well, there are a number of reasons, but let’s stick to our program.
Choose your story
That’s right – storytelling has been reigning supreme in the marketing world and it likely won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. But GOOD storytelling is in a class of its own. What makes good storytelling?
It captures your audience’s attention.
It enables your audience to relate on a personal level.
It feels authentic to you and to your audience.
Like I said in the beginning, the ads cut through the noise effectively because they are real, relatable, and raw.
More on effective storytelling here.
Use quality visuals
Even though the images weren’t perfect in the UFO lodging piece, they still told a memorable visual story without voice-overs or any text overlays. It was just music, photos and a closing shot where the viewer finally learns that this fun family vacation was made possible by the “OMG” category on their website.
Hate taking photos? Look up free stock image sites like Unsplash or Pexels. These sites offer high-quality images that don’t scream ‘STOCK’ - iykyk (that’s ‘if you know you know’ for the Millennials in the back – that’s me, too!). Just be sure to credit the artist when posting.
You may also wish to create something rad in Canva – they have LOADS of new features to play with, like short videos, gifs, and their own stock photo library. “So easy even a Caveman can do it” – remember that one? (ad nerd alert)
Add music to make it more memorable
As a huge music lover myself, I cannot undermine the key role that music played in these ads. A good song can make or break your effort, so play around with your options. What mood are you trying to set – excitement, nostalgia, reflection, irony? Then select the perfect track to bring all of this home. Airbnb did this beautifully by showcasing the elderly couple living their best lives against the contemporary Jay-Z track.
That’s it! That’s how a multi-billion dollar brand like Airbnb can inspire you to make the same impact on your audience on a budget of any size. Remember, good storytelling always wins. Keep it Real + Relatable + Raw.
