• by Danielle Oster , November 27, 2024

Given the requirements of the job, Santa has a tough time delivering presents to hotels.

That's the theme behind Airbnb's new holiday ad, which positions the brand as the hero helping Old Saint Nick avoid “Santastrophe” to deliver gifts on Christmas Eve. The animated ad, created by Airbnb's in-house team, is set in a rhyming narration style in the vein of holiday staple “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” while playing on the comical challenges Santa would face trying to navigate a seemingly “Santa-proof” hotel to deliver gifts.

The spot is built around the idea that the holidays are better in an Airbnb, mixed with the childhood fear of Santa being unable to deliver presents due to logistical challenges. For the creative team, that idea led to a long list of potential obstacles Father Christmas might face at a hotel. One early version apparently showed Santa trapped in an elevator as a child named Brian pressed the button for every floor, prompting a move to the “naughty” list. Issues around dragging a sack full of presents into a busy elevator did make the cut.

The creative team “reviewed countless options for each part of Santa’s look” in an attempt to evoke a Claus "that felt like a child’s memory of Christmas,” according to an Airbnb representative.

It also slipped in a brand Easter egg in the form of the gold stitching on Santa’s red coat, which takes the shape of the brand’s logo.

The spot debuts Nov. 28 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and Brazil. It will run across social media platforms, and in cinemas, as well as on TV -- including a prime spot in the U.S. during the Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast.

“Santastrophe” is the latest addition to the “Get an Airbnb” campaign the brand introduced last year, which depicts scenarios where trips are improved by getting an Airbnb over a hotel. While its playful animation style is in line with earlier entries in the campaign, it also marks the first “Get an Airbnb” ad to be built around a narrative. It's also the rare holiday ad from the brand, although not its first foray into the festive season.