CATB “Check All the Boxes” Brand & Performance Campaign
• Emotional storytelling & functional proof integration
• Modular creative systems & testing frameworks
• Hands-on HTML5 programmatic build
• Cross-channel & global execution
• Performance tracking & optimization
• Stakeholder communication & collaboration
About
Vrbo needed to clearly differentiate itself in a crowded accommodation category, showing why private, spacious vacation rentals were better suited for families and groups, while still building emotional connection.
I led creative direction across brand and performance, developing a platform that combined emotional storytelling with functional proof. By aligning creative with real traveler intent and building modular systems for testing and scale, the campaign drove long-term brand and performance impact.
Problem
Vrbo needed to increase brand awareness and clearly communicate what set it apart in a crowded category. Travelers understood hotels, and Airbnb was associated with shared spaces, but Vrbo’s value proposition wasn’t cutting through.
The challenge was to show that Vrbo offers private, spacious vacation rentals across all trip types, beach houses, cabins, condos, designed for families and groups, while emotionally connecting through real vacation moments.
Strategy
Position Vrbo as the go-to platform that “checks all the boxes” for the perfect vacation.
The strategy connected emotional storytelling with functional proof, showing real moments with family and friends while clearly highlighting the amenities people actively search for when planning trips.
This approach allowed Vrbo to:
- Differentiate from Airbnb (shared spaces) and Booking.com (hotels)
- Align creative with real traveler intent
- Scale across brand and performance channels
Execution
Brand Platform - Check All the Boxes
- Launched a brand platform showcasing private, spacious homes built for family and friends moments
- Highlighted a wide range of property types:
- Beach houses, cabins, condos, lake homes
- Focused on amenities that matter most to travelers:
- Pools, hot tubs, grills, outdoor spaces, pet-friendly homes
Creative centred on emotive moments, family dinners, kids playing with grandparents, family and friends enjoying time together, connecting functional benefits with emotional value.
Creative System & Testing
Built modular creative template to continuously optimise performance, including:
- A/B testing imagery:
- People + property vs property-only
- Indoor vs outdoor scenes
- Testing amenity-focused messaging to understand what resonated most
- Keyword-driven creative aligned with search behaviour
- Testing by trip type:
- Beach, mountain, lake, urban
This system allowed creative to evolve based on real performance signals.
Results
- Increased brand awareness and engagement
- Higher conversion rates and repeat bookings
- Clear differentiation from competitors:
- Airbnb (shared spaces)
- Booking.com (hotels)
Originally launched pre-Covid, this campaign framework remained one of Vrbo’s best-performing creative approaches and continued to be adapted and refreshed through 2025, evolving visually while maintaining its core strategic idea.
Impact
- Combining emotional storytelling with functional proof builds stronger brand recall and performance
- Aligning creative with real search and filter behaviour improves relevance
- Scalable creative systems enable longevity across brand evolutions
- Strong platforms can outperform short-term campaign tactics over time
- Built a long-lasting performance framework adaptable to future brand evolutions (as video examples below)
