This Airbnb Parody Will Make You Laugh—and Then Feel Really Creeped Out

Last Wednesday, Airbnb started sending out tweets that made us wonder in our Slack chat whether their Twitter account had been hacked by an MFA student:

Sleep in their beds, so you may know their dreams.

— Airbnb (@Airbnb) July 14, 2015

Sit at their tables, so you can know their tastes.

— Airbnb (@Airbnb) July 14, 2015

Go look through their windows, so you can understand their views.

— Airbnb (@Airbnb) July 14, 2015

Soon, it became apparent that the cryptic tweets were voiceover lines from a new spot for their larger “Mankind” ad campaign. The semi-viral video shows a diapered baby wobbling down a dark hallway towards a shining window as dramatic music crescendos. Meanwhile, the voiceover asks some #deep questions about the nature of humanity.

The commercial sparked mixed reactions: Adweek wondered whether it was genius or pretentious, while Metro UK was kind of freaked out. Nonetheless, you can argue that Airbnb won because there was buzz abound (nearly 1.5 million views on YouTube), and that their message that mankind is inherently good and kind is a pretty solid stance to take. Fitting with their reputation as a digital-content savvy brand, they even backed up that brand message with a study of human kindness.

But the most engaging content to come out of all this could be the parody produced by ad shop Portal A, which is quickly building a reputation for legitimately funny viral ad parodies. (See: “Dove Real Beauty Sketches: #Balls.”)

Their video replaces the baby with the last person you’d ever want to rent out your house. You’ll laugh. You’ll want to skip lunch. And then you’ll share this with your friend who keeps Airbnb-ing out his apartment and trying to crash on your couch.