Skift Take
Airbnb to the world: "I'm ready for my close-up."
In the battle for the hearts and minds of travelers, Airbnb, the $31 billion company that built its business on homesharing, is turning to a time-tested medium that tugs at our wanderlust.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported Airbnb is investing heavily into original programming to develop and produce shows and films. It's an idea that the company has contemplated to varying degrees for at least the past three years, including possibly launching an Airbnb content studio.
The Reuters article reports that Airbnb is working on a television show for the upcoming Apple streaming service. The show, to be called "Home," will feature unique homes and their hosts, and is being executive produced by the Joe Poulin, the founder of Luxury Retreats, a luxury vacation rental platform that Airbnb bought back in 2017.
The company also announced last week that it developed and produced a documentary that is premiering at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival, called "Gay Chorus Deep South." It profiles the journey of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus as it travels throughout the Southeastern U.S.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nc_VZr3Vdk
This isn't the first time that Airbnb has looked to media channels as a form of marketing. In November 2014, the company debuted Pineapple, a literary journal that also doubled as a guidebook. Pineapp
