Airbnb Public Policy | The Good Guest Guide to Japan
Ahead of the (postponed) 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Airbnb wanted to create an animated advisory film, that takes us on a whirlwind journey of the sights & sounds of Japan, while also giving the viewer lots of helpful advice for acting like a local while in the country. We created the Good Guest Guide—a fun, scalable series featuring simple tips and real hosts. The video was to be presented in taxi cabs, airports, and trains across the country.
For this film, we devised a playful look inspired by origami, incorporating colorful paper patterns into the backgrounds and animating dynamic folding transitions between scenes. This idea was even worked into the flow of the film, for example using inspiration derived from origami craft instructions to design signs about removing your shoes before entering a home.
We enlisted the extremely talented Japanese illustrator Ryo Takemasa, whose beautiful illustrations of Japan also incorporated a paper-texture like sensibility. Ryo created key background designs which the rockstars over at Chromosphere LA animation team then brought to life in a stop-motion inspired way. With such craftspeople this piece was always going to stand out as a piece of art as well as a public policy film.
Creative leads: Josephine Wai Lin (and myself)
Beautifully written by: Kris Seto
Producer: Jula Pepe
Illustration AD: Naomi Benson
