Stuff that strengthens brand affinity: #BelongAnywhere from @airbnb

We all have brand preferences – that intangible feeling of loving a brand so as to prefer it over competing brands in that category. Usually, such a preference evolves as a result of a lot of things the brand does, not just one. It could be a combination of things – the brand name, the logo, the messaging (advertising, PR), the activities a brand initiates or gets involved in and so on. But most commonly it is attributed to the quality of advertising – the core message and how it is executed. Airbnb’s latest advert on the occasion of the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall is one such.

Agency: VCCP, Berlin
Animation: PSYOP

The ‘Belong Anywhere‘ theme is large in scope and perhaps over time be associated with more such human stories – ‘a testament to the power of hospitality and resilience of the human spirit’.

I feel this is the kind of stuff which creates a halo around the brand. Much like design and user experience – for many, Cleartrip is a favourite brand because of its design and user experience across web and mobile apps. It creates brand affinity to the point where you prefer interaction with the brand than any other brand in the same category. Airbnb already has a cult-like following and this will only help strengthen it. What say?