Steve’s breakdown: When we heard Airbnb was going public, we knew there was more to it than that. They were going to need a kind of relaunch. (especially with Covid still around)

That’s why we instructed all of you to get on the horn to them last month. (see below) Clearly Droga5 did.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Airbnb, whose shares soared yesterday on its first day of public trading, also has a new lead creative agency. Ad Age’s Lindsay Rittenhouse reveals that the vacation rental firm has hired Droga5, marking yet another win for the agency.

Droga5 and Airbnb have yet to comment on the win, but one person close to the matter said it happened without a review. Wieden+Kennedy, which previously handled global creative for Airbnb, also declined to comment.

Although Airbnb, like all travel brands, has suffered significantly in the pandemic, its shares surged yesterday as it made its IPO debut on the Nasdaq. Stock closed at $144.71 per share, up approximately 112.81% from its original price of $68 a share. The company has responded to the changing ways travelers are booking trips in the pandemic by focusing more recently on long-term rentals as people look to escape locked-down cities.

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Bringing back a high flying brand might require a new agency