Airbnb called the ad stunt "desperate" and said the campaign just gives Airbnb "more visibility." One advertising expert told BI that while confrontational ads can work, she isn't sure Vrbo's did.

During the February 22-28 period, Airbnb spent an estimated $8.78 million on U.S. TV, accounting for 78.8 percent of travel website TV ad spending, according to iSpot.tv. The second largest ...