Icons
Airbnb
Airbnb launched Icons in 2024, offering once-in-a-lifetime stays and experiences in collaboration with celebrities, brands, and pop culture franchises. Designed to be social-first, it was built around timed drops, cultural buzz, and limited availability. And because only a handful of people could actually book each Icon, photography carried unusual weight: for most of the world, the imagery was the experience.
Icons was new territory for us, and demanded a very different creative approach. Rather than the relatable travel moments and places central to Airbnb's visual identity, Icons required world-building: hyperreal, premium environments that felt magical — but critically, still real and bookable. As a senior creative for photography, I directed three of the six shoots for the launch: the Musée d'Orsay, the X-Mansion, and Colombian musical artist Feid.
Icons became Airbnb's highest-performing social content, and generated over 10K media stories and 15M page views — also winning 11 industry awards including four Cannes Lions.
“Watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games from the balcony of the Musée d’Orsay, and sleep in a bedroom created behind one of its famous clocks by Olympic torch designer Mathieu Lehanneur.”
Photography by Frederik Vercruysse and Maureen M. Evans
“Step inside the animated world of X-Men ’97 when you enter this upstate New York mansion with multiple custom-designed interiors, featuring incredible 2D comic book details throughout by artist Joshua Vides.”
Photography by Holly Andres and Heather Sten
“Join Feid for a week on tour in your own custom-designed FERXXOCALIPSIS monster bus, plus front-row seats and VIP access to all performances.”
Photography by Kelsey McClellan and Sismatyc
Icons launch keynote presentation
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky
