Airbnb is a tech and travel company, with a mission to bring belonging and acceptance to everyone, everywhere. They provide housing and experiences for people globally. Airbnb sought out to create GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH, a documentary film, that would further their mission, even if it didn’t directly relate to their product. Airbnb believes that magical things can happen when you travel, and the story behind their first feature length film showed exactly that.

The Brief:

Airbnb’s core values are belonging and acceptance. They wanted to further expand those values into the world whilst also celebrating the LGBTQ community on the 50th anniversary of activist riot Stonewall.

This is when we decided to partner with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus on this tour to the deep south and create the brand’s first ever feature film.

Our objectives were threefold:

Raise awareness around the surge in discriminatory laws in America, especially in the Deep South.

Create real life examples of people of opposite views accepting each other in these divisive times.

Build content that could be used in Universities, community centers, churches and families all over the world to discuss the themes of acceptance, belonging and bridging the divisiveness.

The film was not a response to a direct challenge that the brand was facing. It was an exploration in how a brand can further its mission through genuine, well-crafted, story-driven content. The audience was initially those who are fighting for equal rights for all, and those who might not believe in belonging and acceptance for all, whose empathy might be inspired. However, as a result of the success of the film, the audience has also become those who might identify with Airbnb’s brand in combination with more conservative and religious types who are engaging with the film in a positive way, and ultimately continue to spread a message of hope and belonging, as well as associate with a brand they feel they can trust. The desired outcome was a documentary that would spread a message of hope and acceptance through the universal language of music. Airbnb delivered just that.

Based on feedback from almost a decade of Airbnb's host and guests interacting and "meeting a stranger" we have data that when you make "prejudice personal" it mostly disappears or creates an opportunity for healthy dialogue. What better way to make prejudice personal than using the combination of travel and the power of music to bring 300 LGBTQ members to the most discriminatory states in the country, including Christian churches and the biggest music halls of each city.

The award-winning Airbnb Creative Team sought out to create a beautiful, well-crafted, wide-reaching film that brought promise of belonging and acceptance, specifically following the divisive times we’re living in during this Trump era. GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH follows the journey of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and The Oakland Interfaith Choir on their tour of some of states with the most discriminatory laws in the USA. In attempting to screen in as many different global locations as possible, Airbnb and the filmmakers spread their message effectively, bringing their message to communities large and small alike.

This tour and film went from the goal of creating local awareness in the South and a targeted audience in America to reaching a global audience of all ages and belief systems.

Reach & Engagement: Over 5 million media impressions, so far. And hundreds of thousands of viewers at our screenings.

Impact: Over 1 million dollars raised for local LGBTQ non-profits fighting for equality. And a countless amount of hearts and minds inspired or changed by the film and the Chorus' music.

Change in hearts and minds is immeasurable, but still very visible in the audiences at the concerts throughout the tour, and in theaters and screening venues after the film. Once you watch GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH yourself, you can judge how it changes people and impacts behavior.