
Airbnb challenged the commercial, along with ads that included a “desperate” and “confused” billboard near Airbnb’s headquarters in San Francisco.
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Airbnb earned a win in a spat with its much smaller short-term rental rival Vrbo on Tuesday when the National Advertising Division recommended Vrbo stop or change some of its advertising claims that seem to poke at Airbnb.
The BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division found that Vrbo was making claims in advertising that conveyed “the unsupported message that Airbnb properties always have hosts that cohabitate with guests during their stay.”
The win highlighted the companies’ focus on marketing techniques to win traveler attention from competing short-term rental companies and the broader hotel industry.
The complaint is what is known as a “Fast-Track SWIFT” challenge, or one that is made to the BBB National Programs, an independent nonprofit organization that monitors disputes among companies.
Airbnb’s challenge highlighted a Vrbo Super Bowl commercial that featured former college and professional football coach Nick Saban, along with two billboard ads.
Skift, a news outlet that focuses on the travel industry and short-term rentals, estimated that Airbnb had a 44 percent market share in the space last year. That’s nearly five times larger than Vrbo, according to Skift.
Vrbo agreed to make changes to its advertising based on NAD’s recommendations, according to the National Advertising Division.


