Airbnb x Beis x Chase Sapphire: Endless Summer
Creating a three-brand partnership + seasonal marketing campaign
Role: Brand Strategist, Creative Director, Campaign Designer
Timeline: 3 months
Skills: Partnership Strategy, Campaign Development, Content Creation, UX Design
Disclaimer: None of these images belong to me; this is a personal project
overview
It's 2 AM, and you're lying in bed, scrolling through sun-drenched photos of Santorini, and that familiar itch hits. The sudden, overwhelming need to book a trip. Right now.
But then reality kicks in. Where do you stay? How do you pack efficiently? How are you going to afford this without wiping your tears your credit card statement?
What if one campaign could solve all three problems?
That’s why I created "Pack & Stay: Endless Summer": my vision for how three powerhouse brands could capture the spontaneous travel moment and turn it into a seamless experience.
The Campaign: Pack & Stay - Endless Summer
To capitalize on the peak summer travel season, I launched a hypothetical brand collaboration running in the months leading up to and throughout the summer (March-August). The goal was to establish an integrated ecosystem that simplifies travel planning, accommodating both well-planned and spontaneous trips. This initiative offered exclusive perks to travelers while simultaneously exposing each collaborating brand to new audiences.
Every great journey starts with three things: a place, a pack, and a plan.
the experience
activation
why this works
what i learned
the players
Airbnb: The Place
Travelers choose to stay in Airbnbs because they offer more than just accommodations; they offer immersion and belonging. But in a sea of listings, how do you figure out which properties are truly unforgettable?
Strengths: Unique, local experiences
Customer: Experience seekers and cultural explorers
Pain points: Too many choices, not enough curation
Beis: The Pack
Founded by actress Shay Mitchell, Beis turned functional luggage into a lifestyle statement. Their aesthetic is clean, and their organizational game is strong.
Strengths: Functional and aesthetic travel, a big community on social media
Customer: Style-conscious travelers, content creators
Pain point: Generic travel gear
Chase Sapphire Reserve: The Plan
The Chase Sapphire credit card allows users to earn points/miles and use them to access premium experiences.
Strengths: Travel rewards, exclusive access, aspirational lifestyle
Customer: Frequent travelers, reward optimizers
Pain point: Wanting to maximize every dollar toward their next adventure
The Sweet Spot: All three brands share the same soulmate customer: the aspirational traveler. They're 25-40, always searching for their next adventure, obsessed with having amazing experiences, all while staying conscious of optimizing rewards and benefits.
I wanted to design Pack & Stay to feel like a journey from the moment someone decides to book a trip to the moment they're wheels-up. I created a three-phase story in which each brand played a specific role at the right time, creating a seamless experience for users as they booked their stay and packed their suitcases, earning points along the way.
Phase 1: Staying with Airbnb
Airbnb launches a curated collection of "Pack & Stay Approved" Airbnb properties and experiences, such as cottages in Italy, homes in Japan, and rooftop apartments in Barcelona. Each listing features a special badge and comes bundled with Chase Sapphire booking perks. With the click of a button, you can either learn more about the Chase Sapphire card to start earning points or connect a pre-existing Chase Sapphire card.
Phase 2: Gear Up with Beis
Once you book your Pack & Stay property, a "Gear Up With Beis" shopping module will appear on the confirmation page. This module features the limited-edition Endless Summer collection, which includes beautiful suitcases, weekender bags, and pouches available in exclusive summer colors, including Airbnb coral. Chase Sapphire members get first access to the exclusive Endless Summer collection, plus a Sapphire-only sale.
After your Airbnb reservation is confirmed, you have the option to order a personalized Beis travel kit with essentials for your stay, which will be delivered straight to your Airbnb (such as a travel adapter, passport case, a guide to the place you’re visiting, mosquito repellent, and sunscreen).
Phase 3: Rewarding with Chase
New Chase Sapphire cardholders who sign up during the campaign receive a welcome kit that includes a co-branded passport cover, along with a sign-up bonus. Chase Sapphire members can earn additional bonus points when booking Pack & Stay properties through the Airbnb app. They also get first access to the exclusive Endless Summer collection, plus a Sapphire-only sale.
To drive awareness and conversion, I developed a two-pronged content strategy designed for both aspiration and education. First, I curated an influencer brand trip to Mallorca under the tag ‘#PostcardsfromMallorca’ that transforms the Pack & Stay concept from a marketing campaign into a lived experience through behind-the-scenes access, real-time engagement, and shoppable moments. Second, an educational series on TikTok and Instagram Reels called "Points to Passport" that breaks down exactly how Chase points can fund these getaways. Together, this content inspires the audience with the brand trip to Mallorca, followed by an educational personal finance series that shows the path to making this dream achievable with Pack & Stay.
‘Postcards from Mallorca’ Brand Trip
Pack & Stay invites a group of entertaining, well-known social media influencers to a Pack & Stay-approved property in Mallorca for a five-day brand trip. The influencers will create Instagram posts, Reels, and TikToks that capture the entire trip in an engaging way, including:
How they packed their Beis bags and got ready for the trip
A tour of their Pack & Stay Airbnb property featuring the Beis travel kit that got sent to their Airbnb with travel essentials
Fun behind-the-scenes moments of the brand trip experiences
An unboxing of their Chase Sapphire Reserve card while educating their audience on how they can utilize this travel card to unlock new experiences, emphasizing the limited edition Pack & Stay opportunities
‘Points to Passport’ Video Series
Pack & Stay sponsors personal finance content creators on various social media platforms to talk about the many benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and how it can be used to book Airbnbs, flights, and special experiences, all while earning points. Some examples of videos that can be made include:
"How booked a $300/night Airbnb for 15,000 points."
"Breaking down the Pack & Stay bonus points offer."
"How I funded my Greece trip with points."
Airport Pop-Ups in Lounges
At major airports, there will be Chase Sapphire lounges featuring Beis pop-ups to shop and browsable Airbnb property options. QR codes let travelers shop the collection while waiting for their flight.
Those taking part in Pack & Stay can participate in the “Charm Bar” station in the Chase lounges. This will be a dedicated station where travelers can customize a limited-edition Beis “Endless Summer” Micro Roller Charm with destination-themed charms, such as an Eiffel Tower for Paris or a palm tree for beach trips. The Micro Roller Charm is perfect for organizing small essentials like chapstick and other beauty products in a stylish way, encouraging people to share their creations on social media and attracting more attention to this feature.
When you're booking an Airbnb, you're already in "travel mode", your brain is making decisions about where to stay, what to bring, how to budget. By presenting Beis products at the moment of booking confirmation, it is completing the thought you were already having. The Beis limited-edition products create urgency and exclusivity. Limited editions also solve a common partnership problem: brand dilution. Instead of confusing either brand's identity, this collaboration acts as a special moment that generates buzz. Chase Sapphire layer adds validation, allowing customers to earn bonus points makes traveling more rewarding.
Airbnb: sees increased bookings from the curated collection and gains Chase's affluent customer base
Beis: moves limited-edition inventory at premium prices and gains exposure to Airbnb's massive user base
Chase Sapphire: acquires new cardholders attracted by exclusive perks and drives card usage through bonus point incentives
As an avid traveler myself, it was easy to come up with ideas that others like me would be drawn to. The hard part was finding the thread that made three distinct brands feel like they belonged together. I have worked on dual-brand partnerships, but adding a third brand made things a little more complex. Multi-brand partnerships are like dinner parties: everyone needs to bring something to the table, but the meal only works if someone planned the menu. As the strategist and creative director on this project, I learned that it wasn't enough to showcase the three brands; I had to craft a seamless experience that made all three brands better together. Every time I added a touchpoint to this campaign, I asked myself: "Does this make the journey easier, or does it just make our campaign look busier?" That question killed a lot of darlings. For example, the "Gear Up With Beis" module on the confirmation page stayed because it served a real need at the exact moment someone would have it. The airport lounge stayed because waiting for a flight is dead time, begging for engagement.
Airbnb, Beis, and Chase Sapphire aim to serve the same feeling to their audiences: the anticipation of escape. When I designed from the customer's perspective first, the business goals followed naturally. Pack & Stay worked because I built something that genuinely felt like it would make travel easier and more rewarding.
