Super Bowl advertisements are typically designed to promote a company's brand or its products, but Airbnb — joining a handful of other companies — appeared to take a different approach this go around.
Flashing the faces of people representing all walks of life, the San Francisco-based company was all about celebrating inclusion, a timely plug amid President Trump's travel ban.
"We believe no matter who you are, where you're from, who you love or who you worship, we all belong," the advertisement's text read. "The world is more beautiful the more you accept. #weaccept."
The apparent politically-inspired ad was created just four days before the big game and depicted the faces of Airbnb employees, CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky tweeted Sunday. Hours after airing, the ad checked in as YouTube's No. 5 trending video as of Monday morning with just over 450,000 views and counting.
Airbnb's ad was one of many to dabble in the political atmosphere. As for whether or not that type of message is effective for a brand's image is up to debate.
Kelly O'Keefe, a marketing professor at Virginia Commonwealth University applauded the company for "making a strong statement."
Local
Villanova University marketing professor Charles Taylor reasoned that the ad didn't actually make a connection to the company's home-sharing services. It appeared to be a "purely political statement," Taylor said.
The Associated Press' Mae Anderson contributed to this report.
