Why Barbie, a Blimp and a Wienermobile Are Posting on Airbnb

It was a warm August evening in Evanston, Ill., just north of Chicago, when the Wienermobile rolled out the red carpet for a sleepover.

Actually, the carpet was green, and not so much carpet as artificial turf. Inside the Wienermobile, the meat brand Oscar Mayer’s signature marketing machine, there was a pullout bed and a mini fridge. There were hot dog sunglasses, hot dog onesies and actual hot dogs with all the accouterments. (But no ketchup: Chicago doesn’t really do hot dogs with ketchup. It’s a thing.)

It was the first time a Wienermobile had been repurposed for paid lodging, the result of a collaboration between Oscar Mayer and Airbnb, the home-sharing platform that has increasingly tried to woo customers by promising adventure as well as accommodation.

If the Wienermobile stunt sounds familiar, it may be because Airbnb has entered into similar collaborations since then. The Goodyear blimp welcomed Airbnb guests last month. A life-size version of Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse opened its doors last week. And Downton Abbey — that is, Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England — will take two lodgers this month.

All of those offers were part of a marketing campaign at Airbnb, and all of them made news headlines. That was no accident….[Read More]