HomeAway has taken a not so subtle swipe at rival Airbnb’s sharing economy model with a new global ad campaign.
TV, digital and social media ads take a humorous look at the often bizarre situations people face when sharing a home with strangers.
One skit shows a dishevelled man in a bathrobe clipping his toenails in front of guests, while another also takes aim at traditional hotel vacations, showing guests finding it hard to relax by an overcrowded pool.
The ads come with the tagline: ‘It’s Your Vacation, Why Share It?’
"There is an ugly side to the sharing-economy and something for people to think about…that is something we want to distance ourselves from," said Brian Sharples, chief executive officer of HomeAway.
"We are trying to educate people about the difference between what we do," Sharples added.
Expedia-owned HomeAway generally offers entire vacation homes for rental rather than shared accommodation although there is some overlap with Airbnb and other similar home-sharing companies.
Aside from the US, the campaign is also running in France, the UK and Germany.
