Airbnb Appoints New Creative Director Naz Arandi
Global superbrand Airbnb has appointed Naz Arandi as its newest creative director within the burgeoning in-house creative team. Iranian-born and raised, Arandi’s American secondary education nurtured a passion for telling human stories from a multicultural perspective while using technology as an invisible tool. This is reflected in her extensive output which has crossed creative boundaries to ideate products from scratch and build data driven campaigns that shift culture and instigate change.
Arandi will be based in San Francisco, CA and report to executive creative director Tony Högqvist. She will be responsible for leading and mentoring cross-functional teams - from content makers to art directors to creative technologists - to develop holistic creative campaigns for product launches and community driven experiences. With a perspective focused on human connection, Arandi will enhance the company’s unique position on storytelling that is driven by real experiences enabled through host and guest interactions.
“Airbnb is a place for big thinking, craftsmanship and innovation with a team that always wants to be better than the day before,” says Arandi. “It’s rare to find people who share a genuine passion for impactful creative work and who support an environment of belonging no matter who you are or where you are from - belonging is part of every single interaction here, starting with the leadership. At the end of the day, that’s why we do what we do, to empower the same thinking globally.”
Most recently as Sr. Global Creative Lead at Netflix, Arandi was instrumental in bringing the company’s first-ever global tagline to life, “See What’s Next,” and devised a range of innovative campaigns that were a cross function of data science, product and consumer PR, such as Netflix Socks, Personal Trainer and “Netflix and Chill” button.
Prior to Netflix, Arandi worked in various creative environments, from Phenomenon, an innovation firm, to Ogilvy & Mather as Associate Creative Director. She has worked with a wide spectrum of brands such as TOMS, Mexico Tourism, Tabasco, PayPal, Yahoo!, PAIGE denim and American Film Institute. Naz’s work has earned awards from One Show, WEBBY, Shortys and AICP Next Awards.
Tony Högqvist, Airbnb’s Executive Creative Director, says, “Naz has this great agency background along with experience in navigating large innovative companies that push big ideas forward. Whether that translates into content, innovation or product launches, it’s her expertise in community centric storytelling that will drive the focus.”
The company is also excited to announce the promotions of Alexandra Anderson and Samya Deb to creative director positions based in the San Francisco and Singapore offices, respectively. Anderson’s creative expertise is focused on Airbnb’s Experiences, using different storytelling backgrounds to inspire the Airbnb community. With an international background spanning India, Vietnam and China, Deb combines global design and branding with a strong content framework to engage the company’s APAC community, building the region’s awareness and point of view.
“We are committed to finding and promoting the best talent that not only represents the diversity of our global community, but also brings diverse creative thinking to what we do,” remarks James Goode, Director, head of Airbnb’s in-house creative team. “Naz, Alex and Samya each embody our values that drive creative firsts while also championing our relentless storytellers and creators who construct memorable, authentic and inspiring experiences.”
