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In a globalized and connected world, ‘belonging’ has taken on new meaning. Airbnb believe that people can “Belong Anywhere” and they embrace this new sense of freedom. For them, we have created an integrated campaign that celebrates the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall by telling a true and emotive story – The Wall and Chain.
The story of Jörg and Kai begins in Berlin, 1987. At this time Jörg was serving as border guard on the west-side of the Berlin Wall, while Kai was serving on the east-side. After fulfilling his service, Jörg left Germany behind, got married and settled in Denmark. But a part of the Berlin Wall remained with him – as a psychological barrier that stayed with him throughout his life.
One day, Jörg’s daughter Catherine decided to help her father overcome this barrier – the inner wall – by planning a trip to Berlin. Catherine booked an apartment via Airbnb so both she and her father could embark on their journey.
Upon their arrival, father and daughter where greeted by their host, Kai. Soon Jörg learned that Kai used to be a guard on the east-side. Suddenly these former enemies met again, but this time as friends.
The centrepiece of the campaign is an animated film, that tells our story from Catherine’s point of view. To learn more about the origins of the campaign, we created a microsite with detailed information on the true history of the story, including interviews with the former guards.