Airbnb: Welcome To Airbnb - Behind The Scenes

TBWA Singapore recently briefed Cirkus and Sixtoes Singapore to take on the challenge of helping Airbnb make the world a little bit smaller. Christian Greet and Norman Yeend, backed by a talented team, created this epic miniature 60 second train ride showcasing that when you use Airbnb while travelling, it makes the world that little bit smaller, with the service giving opportunities to meet people all over the world and live like a local when you visit new places. To tick all of the boxes for Airbnb's target market, Cirkus needed to ensure that the journey would be whimsical, dreamlike, artistic and fantastic, just as travelling can be. With this aesthetic in mind, the team settled on a hand/home made approach utilizing out-of-the-box mechanical transitions to take the viewer from one environment into the next. This train ride has been filmed as one long take, with everything happening in-camera without the use of any CG imagery. Cirkus moved from their offices to a warehouse, where a total of 30 people worked on the job for 5 weeks. By the end of the project, they had dealt with 1602m of plywood, 300qm of polystyrene and 12L of glue, amongst other things, to complete the 852m set. As you board the train in this film, you're transported into a magical world that represents the very heart of Airbnb," said Jonathan Mildenhall, Airbnb's CMO. "As you wind your way through some of the amazing listings Airbnb has to offer, you get a different perspective on the world. With each viewing, you see something unique and interesting that you didn't notice before, mirroring the experience that many people have when they travel with Airbnb."