Menu
Get unlimited graphic design for only $399/mo. Unlimited revisions and 2 day delivery on every request!
Start My Project ->
The Airbnb founder story is one of the most inspiring stories of the 21st century and it's no shock that Airbnb has one of the most iconic brands around today. In this article, we're going to do a Brand Breakdown that includes the following sections:
Let's go back to 2007, at the start of it all, with co-founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gabbia. These two soon-to-be unicorn status startup founders just moved from New York to San Fransisco and were struggling to pay rent (keep in mind both were unemployed). They noticed all the hotels were booked in the area, as the local Industrial Design conference was attracting a lot of visitors. There, the idea was born.
Brian and Joe placed several air mattresses on the floor of their apartment, built a quick website, called Air Bed & Breakfast, and charged $80 for a place to sleep. They had three guests that night, but furthermore, the two founders had proof of concept and $240 in revenue.
After bringing on a 3rd co-founder, selling $30,000 worth of Obama O's, and raising multiple investment rounds, the company has become a unicorn in the world of startups. And yes, you heard correct, the founders raised their first $30,000 in capital by literally making and selling cereal called Obama O's to Obama supporters that were attending the Democratic National Convention.
To date, Airbnb has raised over $6B in funding over 19 rounds and the company is worth well over $100B in total. The three founders have taken the concept of renting out air mattresses to sleep on, and have turned it into a multi-billion dollar brand that holds worldwide recognition.
Designed by Design Studio in New York City, Airbnb has transcended beyond other hospitality companies and transformed the entire travel industry with community at heart.
"Airbnb is built around the idea that everyone should be able to take the perfect trip, including where they stay, what they do, and who they meet. To that end, we empower millions of people around the world to use their spaces, passions, and talents to become entrepreneurs." (Airbnb.com).
This statement drives everything from the name of the company, core values, logo design, color palette, font choices, and even social media ads. It guides the creative direction for every piece of the Airbnb's massive brand.
Airbnb has 4 core values that support this mission statement.
When you begin crafting a visual identity, the company's mission statement and core values should create a clear path to take when designing the first piece of the company's visual identity: the logo.
The Belo symbol was created by combining iconography of people, places, love, and the letter "A" for Airbnb. The reason the logo is so incredibly designed is because it embodies the Airbnb mission and core values while still being simple enough for anyone to draw, remember, and recognize from anywhere in the world. It's unique, it's memorable, and it's simple. Those are the three golden rules for incredible logo design.
Brian Chesky writes, "When I look at this brand, I suddenly realized everything I’ve been trying to say, now we have a way to express it.", and that's exactly what a great brand should do.
From here, the concept can be taken and placed into actual assets for the brand to use however they need to be used. For the logo, this consists of 3 different colors, a vertical layout, a horizontal layout, and of course, the Belo icon placed by itself.
To further brand recognition and communication of the brand's mission and core values, Airbnb created the primary color, "Rausch". The color works so well for the brand because it reflects passion and love without holding the same aggression as a pure red.
The secondary color palette works well with the primary "Rausch" color while being inspired by communities across the globe.
Note that even the Airbnb color palette was chosen with intention, not just because the founders thought it "looked good".
With the logo variation assets and color palette developed, Airbnb can use these assets to stay on-brand however they need to communicate their message and product.
Notice how the logo and color palette doesn't overwhelm the user. The primary objective of both the Airbnb app and Airbnb website is to maximize the amount of trips booked. The goal is to get the user to book a trip and they do this by making beautiful, unique places to stay the main focus across all platforms.
"By “priming” their target audience, Airbnb’s designers use carefully-picked images to spark the emotions that could be associated with the subsequent expected experience: Staying in an awesome place for their vacation." (UXDesign).
Again, circle back to the beginning of this article and the beginning of the Airbnb brand. Imagine a world where you can belong anywhere. What does that look like? What does that feel like? These ads showcase real people, having everyday experiences, that anyone could relate to in various places around the world. Live there. Even if it's just for a night. The main focus of the ad is the experience being had and the Airbnb logo, primary color, and mission are all presented as a secondary focal point to stay on-brand and tie everything together.
Even Airbnb's stationary design is 100% on-brand. Every visual aspect of the company conveys the mission. Every time someone interacts with the Airbnb brand, they feel welcomed, safe, and excited for adventure. Notice the subtle use of Airbnb's entire palette. There's a lot of beauty in this simplicity.
From renting out air mattresses on the bedroom floor to building a multi-billion dollar brand, Airbnb has been making people feel at home for years and it gets communicated in every piece of visual content that is released from the company. The most important aspect of the Airbnb brand? The mission. Everything is designed with mission in mind.
Get your first design in just 2 days. Your virtual design team is only a click away. Go ahead, try it out. We know you want to.
Start My First Project ->
