Title | SWEDEN ON AIRBNB |
Brand | VISITSWEDEN |
Product/Service | VISITSWEDEN |
Category |
B13. Brand Voice & Strategic Storytelling |
Entrant
|
FORSMAN & BODENFORS Gothenburg, SWEDEN
|
Idea Creation
|
FORSMAN & BODENFORS Gothenburg, SWEDEN
|
PR
|
FORSMAN & BODENFORS Gothenburg, SWEDEN
|
Production
|
FORSMAN & BODENFORS Gothenburg, SWEDEN
|
Additional Company
|
VISIT SWEDEN Stockholm, SWEDEN
|
Additional Company 2
|
SMFB ENGINE Oslo, NORWAY
|
Additional Company 3
|
AIRBNB San Francisco, USA
|
Credits
Jenny E Kaiser |
Visit Sweden |
Advertiser Supervisor |
Jennie Skogsborn Missuna |
Visit Sweden |
Client |
Peter Holmberg |
Visit Sweden |
Client |
Jonas Overödder |
Visit Sweden |
Client |
Lotta Thiringer |
Visit Sweden |
Client |
Ann Spennare-Bengtsson |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Account Director |
Olle Victorin |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Account Director |
Johan Eghammer |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Art Director |
Johanna Hofman-Bang |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Art Director |
Ted Mellström |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Art Director |
Josefin Roxeheim |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Art Director |
Marcus Hägglöf |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Copywriter |
Pontus Levahn |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Copywriter |
Agnes Uggla |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Copywriter |
Lycke Ramel |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Writer |
Johan Fredriksson |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Designer |
Johanna Bringefält |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Account Manager |
Jens Odelbring |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Agency Producer |
Peter Gaudiano |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Digital Producer |
Robert Johnsson |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
PR Strategist |
Daniel Sjöstrand |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Planner |
Jenny Ring |
Forsman & Bodenfors |
Music Supervisor |
Jeanne Salvanès |
Airbnb |
Marketing Manager |
Zoe Russel Turner |
Airbnb |
Creative Producer |
The Campaign
With our target group (travellers) in mind, we decided to present one of Sweden’s most popular tourist attractions, the great outdoors, in a way that makes Sweden different from other nature destinations. We used the Freedom to Roam, an 80-year- old Swedish right protected by the constitution that allows anyone to roam freely in Sweden’s nature. Every lake and mountaintop can be enjoyed as if they are yours – our country is one big home. Since we knew our target group, we knew where they hang out online. So we listed the entire country on Airbnb.
Execution
Together with Airbnb we created and built a special campaign site for Sweden on Airbnb where people could browse through different listings. All destinations had their own specific descriptions and amenities; a lake became an infinity pool and moss on the ground became carpeting – like a regular Airbnb listing.
We also produced a film where a Swedish man, Åke, invited the world to explore his 100 million acres accommodation.
To pave the way for the campaign we worked with different influencers who in one way or the other had a natural connection to freedom to roam: explorer Renata Chlumska, photographer Wisslaren; raincoat designer Alexander Stutterheim and tech profile Natalia Brzezinski, an American who used to live in Sweden.
We also produced content about freedom to roam, including an interview with an expert, which we published on Visit Sweden’s website.
Earned media: $9,7 million
Engagements: 1,7 million
Articles: 1691
Spread: 138 countries
Media impressions: 8,4 billion
Organic reach: 700% increase
Online conversation: 2346% increase
The campaign was launched on May 22nd 2017 and in July 2017 the number of booked hotel nights from the US increased by 45 % compared to the year before. A booking cycle in the US is 45 days.
The Situation
The assignment was to promote Sweden as a brand and to raise awareness of Sweden as a travel destination in the US. We had to bet on earned media in order to really reach out. With Airbnb as a platform and by being the first to list an entire country on Airbnb our bet paid off. The result was that the number of booked hotel nights in Sweden from the US increased by 45 % in July compared to 2016. We launched our campaign 22nd of May 2017. A booking cycle in the US is 45 days.
The Strategy
Even if visitors are few, people are still coming to Sweden from all demographic segments (DINKs, WHOPs etc.) A heterogeneous group, but we found something they all had in common that let us tailor a message to them. The development of digital technologies and fundamental shifts in how people perceive value has disrupted every field of consumption, and transformed the way we plan and experience travel. We called this insight “the evolution from tourist to traveller”, and we wanted to repackage Sweden in to something travellers would love. And love to show off. Sweden needed to be something completely different. We needed to communicate Sweden in a way that resonates with the travellers values. This meant that something like the great outdoors couldn’t be communicated simply on it’s own. Everything needed to be combined with something more, for example Swedish culture or politics.