VCCP Berlin creates Airbnb campaign for 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Friday, 07 November 2014

 VCCP Berlin has created a content-led campaign for Airbnb, which launches on Friday 7 November. The brief was to celebrate an historic moment in Germany’s history - the 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall - and highlighting how Airbnb has the ability to help people feel like they belong anywhere.

The integrated campaign, “Wall and Chain”, depicts the true story of two former border guards from East and West Berlin, using animation from one of the world’s leading animation and illustration companies, Psyop in New York.

The emotional story tells of a West-German border guard in 1987, who leaves the city after completing his service. However, even after settling in Denmark, he is unable to get closure on his experience as a border guard. His daughter plans a trip to Berlin to overcome this experience, booking an apartment via Airbnb. On their arrival, the former guard suddenly realizes that the person, who welcomes them to the apartment, is in fact a guard from the east side of the wall. This reconnection of the past in a new era helped him to overcome the distress of the mental wall.
“We wanted to further reinforce Airbnb’s vision of creating a world where anyone can ‘Belong Anywhere’, by telling an authentic and emotive story, which highlights the power of human encounters and connections,” says Robin Karakash, Managing Director at VCCP Berlin.
 
 
The focus of this campaign is online via www.belonganywhere.com/berlin, where users can learn more about the poignant story through interviews with the former guards. Users are also free to share their personal Airbnb story via the campaign website. The activity will be promoted through various social media channels. In addition, the film can be found on YouTube and Vimeo.  
 
 
The campaign launches online on Friday 7 November and will be rolled out in Europe and North America. The film will be film will be broadcast on US TV networks, including NBC and CNN, alongside relevant programming about the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Credits
 
VCCP
Management Director: Robin Karakash
Planning: Wiebke Dreyer, Ann-Kristin Sterba
Creative: Oliver Frank, Sebastian Oehme, Marc Garreta, Christophe Ducros, Lisa Krack
Head of TV: Michael Opitz
Project Management: Alison Haly
Account Management: Philip Chhatwani, Helene Korte
 
Illustration: PSYOP, New York 
Animation: PSYOP, New York
 
 
Airbnb
Chief Marketing Officer: Jonathan Mildenhall 
Head of Global SEO: Dennis Goedegebuure
Head of Marketing, Europe: Alex Dimiziani
Head of Advertising: Peter Giorgi
Creative Producer: Willow Hill  
Sound Design, Copywriter: Ian Rowe   
Voice Over artist: Lisa Dubost  
Creative Lead: Dillon Petrillo  
Legal: Tanja de Coster
 
About Airbnb
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.
 
 
About VCCP
VCCP Berlin was founded in 2007 and within seven years has grown from a small agency with one client, O2, to an integrated shop with a broad portfolio of German, European and global clients including Nike, BMW Motorrad, mobile.de and Heineken. 
The agency is based on the principles of simplicity, collaboration, un-preciousness and integration around ideas rather than channels, an ethos that originated in our London headquarters. Today VCCP Berlin is creating work that is as diverse as its 65 employees, with over half of them from an international background.
 
 
PR Contact
 
Olivia Patt