Airbnb has been apologizing to consumers and employees since Wednesday night for ads placed around San Francisco that were critical of schools and libraries.
The ads – one of which read, "Dear public library system, we hope you use some of the $12 million in hotel taxes to keep the library open later" – will be taken down immediately, according to Airbnb.
An Airbnb spokesperson told The Huffington Post this week that the campaign’s goal was to highlight the hotel tax contributions made by the company’s guests and hosts, but it took "the wrong tone."
Jonathan Mildenhall, the company’s CMO, also tweeted an apology on Thursday immediately following a Twitter post by Airbnb.
We mess up badly yesterday. I'm kicking myself today. https://t.co/PVYfMAifrE
— Jonathan Mildenhall (@Mildenhall) October 22, 2015
We apologize for Wednesday’s SF ads. They displayed poor judgment and do not live up to the values and humanity of our global community.
— Airbnb (@Airbnb) October 22, 2015
The company is also saying sorry to its employees, according to an internal email obtained by CNET on Thursday. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky wrote to staffers: "Yesterday I heard from so many of you about how embarrassed and deeply disappointed you were in us. You were right to feel this way."
Chesky has not tweeted about the incident, and the company has not posted any updates on its Facebook page or blog.
Despite the apologies, media members, communicators, and marketers have posted about the PR blunder on social media.
Yikes! Latest #PRFail RT @MikeIsaac: today in shockingly dumb PR strategies https://t.co/LPvwFLzt77 pic.twitter.com/AhjzdJLRFz
— SongBird Marketing (@SongBird_TO) October 23, 2015
When #branding goes bad: https://t.co/HAyzQ0zQ0j #PR #marketing
— Lexia (@LexiaGroup) October 23, 2015
Succinct encapsulation of why @Airbnb 's SF ads were a massive PR fail. https://t.co/6mQrmLaizl
— Nicole Gustas (@rednikki) October 23, 2015
Double lesson here in #Marketing and #PR from @airbnb. @ExterionMediaNI https://t.co/y3pg8wwlLX
— Alastair Luke (@al_luke) October 23, 2015
Sorry Airbnb, you don’t get a gold star for paying taxes: https://t.co/CdrBiMBCZS #PR #UGH
— Lauren Gard (@LaurenGardSF) October 23, 2015