A new Airbnb campaign has launched featuring the winners of its Country Pub Project.
The six winners of The Country Pub Project, an initiative designed to encourage more Australians to explore regional communities, each received a grant of $50,000 to rejuvenate their pubs.
Aussies were asked to nominate their favourite watering hole for The Country Pub Project, describing what makes their local so special, and why an Airbnb grant would help revitalise and restore this place in their local community.
“The Country Pub Project received over 9000 nominations,” Airbnb explained. “With so many moving stories about much loved local pubs, we found it impossible to choose just five winners. So we added a sixth. Offering accommodation and already oozing charm, these six country pubs are about to receive some much needed TLC—and a whole lot more guests.
The winning pubs are the Royal Hotel in Sofala, NSW; the Imperial Hotel in Ravenswood, Queensland; The Royal Standard Hotel in Toora, Victoria; The Grand Hotel in Millicent, South Australia; Bischoff Hotel in Waratah, Tasmania and The Woolshed Hotel in Nungarin, Western Australia.
Each of the pubs are now available to book through Airbnb.
The film stars five of the publicans, describing the experiences country pubs offer that are unavailable in cities, and why they are special places to the local communities.
According to Airbnb, the Country Pub Project was based on research which found that 70% of Australians wanted to explore more of the country, but only 14% had stayed the night in a country pub.
“Pubs are the beating heart of our local communities – communities which have been doing it tough due to drought, waning tourism and economic disruption,” said Airbnb country marketing lead Daniel Gervais. “Through this campaign we really want to shine a light on the characters that make these beloved institutions so special and encourage people to get out of the cities and enjoy a quintessential country experience.
“It’s also about showcasing the incredible things to do in regional Australia – whether that’s exploring an old gold mining town or hiking to waterfalls.”
The 60-second TVC will run nationally, and five state-specific 30-second spots will run in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. OOH will be executed in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
The Airbnb campaign was made by the company’s in-house creative team.
