WE: Global hotel brand Hilton poked fun at short-term/vacation rentals when launching its first global brand platform – ‘Hilton. For the stay’.
The launch of the brand platform is part of a larger advertising campaign launched by Hilton called “It Matters Where You Stay”, where the company combines humor with an emphasis on the importance and safety of booking a stay at the ‘hotel.
Featuring businesswoman and philanthropist Paris Hilton, great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, and voice-over actress Catherine O’Hara, the campaign has already rolled out in the States. -United. Highlighting some of the perceived pitfalls of booking travel through accommodation segments such as vacation rentals, the campaign also shows Hilton discussing her life growing up in hotels, the power of travel and how hotels are able to connect people and cultures around the world.
Along with her agency, TBWAChiatDay New York, Hilton emphasizes the elements that “make or break” a trip, as well as the importance of where the guest is staying, including touchpoints with consumers throughout the trip planning process and post-stay experience.
Hilton Chief Marketing Officer Mark Weinstein said: “Today, as we write company history with Hilton’s first brand platform, we remind guests that at the heart of a good trip is a great stay and it’s just different when that stay is with Hilton. As we enter this new era of travel, it’s never been more important to consider where you’re staying – and Hilton is uniquely committed to ensuring your stay is everything you need it to be.
Due to launch in the UK and select Asia Pacific [APAC] and soon in Middle Eastern markets, the campaign spans TV, audio, social media, print and beyond, and was led by acclaimed producer and director, Matt Aselton, of Arts & Sciences.
Hilton says it hires influencers and social media platforms [Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter] to provide more accommodation options for travelers and help them avoid “travel disasters”.
Weinstein continued, “With ‘Hilton. For the stay, we’re connecting our external customer marketing more fully to our purpose – rightly affirming that Hilton owns the stay. The idea of Stay was incredibly natural for Hilton, yet no one else was talking about it.
“While others extol the generic virtues of travel, downplay the role of the hotel and hotel team members, and romanticize the destination, through our platform and the campaign it inspires, we reminding travelers that ‘It Matters Where You Stay’ and boldly stating ‘Hilton.For the Stay,’ he added.
Hilton’s campaign launch represents a new ploy for hotel advertising and is a blatant affront to the vacation rental segment, albeit conveyed in a playful tone.
In one of the TV commercials, ‘Haunted‘, the brand pokes fun at some of the perceived pitfalls of booking vacation rentals, describing a family showing up at a haunted house property that didn’t look like how it was advertised.
Somewhere else, ‘Confirmed together‘ emphasizes securing connected rooms at the time of booking, and in ‘Additional storage‘, Paris Hilton presents a solution for her extra luggage. Hilton also references its “incredible service” and “pet-friendly travel choices” through its Hilton Honors app that allows guests to bypass the front desk and customize their stay however they want.
Amy Ferguson, Creative Director of TBWAChiatDay New York, said: “In developing the campaign, we were inspired by showing the reality of travel; the tensions, the hardships, the overly high expectations. It goes against convention in the hospitality category and is an exciting space for the brand to own. »
Marcus Rader, Founder and CEO of Hostaway, said, “Hilton is truly overlooking one of the great strengths of our industry. Most short-term rentals are run by people who work hard to build trust and a positive reputation in their business, especially if they’re just starting out.
“OTAs then help build that trust through reviews and categories like Superhosts on Airbnb that show every guest left happy with their stay. That’s the amazing thing about short-term rentals, compared to a global hotel chain where trust is built because of its size or the location of its properties and just has to uphold its reputation. , not to build it.
“The smart thing about this campaign is that Hilton also doesn’t care about hotels! Things can certainly go wrong in both types of ownership.
“I also wonder when our industry will have to help them enter the market, as competitors like Marriott have done before them. Perhaps they will convert their resort properties to short-term rental standards in the future,” he added.
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