Airbnb books Droga5 as new creative agency

Airbnb—with its stock up nearly 113% today in its first day of public trading—has appointed Droga5 as new lead creative agency, marking yet another win for the Accenture Interactive-owned shop, according to people close to the business. Wieden+Kennedy had previously handled global creative for the San Francisco-based vacation rental online marketplace after winning the account from Omnicom's TBWA in 2017. W+K declined comment but one person close to the business says its partnership ended in late 2019. Airbnb did not return a request for comment and Droga5 declined comment. One person close to the matter says the win came without a review. It's unclear if the scope is global or U.S. Like many hospitality companies, Airbnb has struggled in the pandemic because of fewer travelers. Co-Founder Brian Chesky said in August that the company had lost some $1 billion in bookings due to the coronavirus, leading it to lay off nearly 2,000 staffers even as it invested in new offerings including virtual experiences. Despite the financial woes, Airbnb had its IPO debut on the Nasdaq this morning with its stock closing at $144.71 per share, up approximately 112.81% from its original price of $68 a share. In an interview with CNBC ahead of its IPO, Chesky said the company is "getting a little bit more into the game of inspiration and matching people to the perfect home experience for them," given the changing ways travelers are booking trips in the pandemic. According to COMvergence estimates, Airbnb spent a total of $36 million—$18 million of which was in digital—on measured media in the U.S. last year. The appointment continues Droga5's recent win streak. The agency picked up Petco's creative account from Anomaly without a review last month and, in April, it picked up both Maserati's global creative business and Allstate's creative account.

Airbnb books Droga5 as new creative agency

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