Hilton Hotels (NYSE:HLT) today announced the launch of its new advertising spots for 2007, part of the brand’s overall “Travel Should Take You Places” campaign. Created by Young & Rubicam’s Irvine & Chicago offices, the three new spots – Perspective, Dragon and Pangea – continue the campaign’s imaginative and evocative animation style, and feature emerging singer/songwriters, designed to promote Hilton’s brand philosophy that travel is about more than just going from point A to point B—it’s about the journey.
“Hilton believes in the transformative nature of travel, complemented by the universal power of music to also be transformative,” said Jeff Diskin, Hilton’s senior vice president of brand management and marketing. “The music featured in our Travel Should Take You Places campaign was selected to connect with consumers on a deeper and emotional level—to take them on a journey, and inspire a sense of discovery and anticipation of travel.
The 2007 campaign will feature six spots in total; three new ads, one ad from last year’s campaign which features a new singer/songwriter, and two spots making a return from last year’s campaign launch, which marked the hotelier’s return to TV after more than a decade.
New this year are:
- Perspective, featuring the song “New Shoes” by Scottish-born singer, Paolo Nutini
- Dragon, featuring the track “Voila” by Georgia’s own Michael Tolcher.
- Pangea, featuring the song “Blessed” by Santa Monica-based folk rocker, Brett Dennen.
The ad titled Sunrise now features the song “Today” by Cleveland-native, Joshua Radin. Songs by established rock pianist Ben Folds and R&B crooner Vassy will continue to add warmth to the ads titled Jordan and Sandcastle, with Ben Folds’ “Landed” and Vassy’s “Wanna Fly” respectively.
In addition to the television ads, which are slated to run on cable and the internet, along with matching print treatments in newspaper, the campaign features videos of each participating artist speaking about their own “personal journey” and the impact that travel has on their music and on them as individuals. The Personal Journeys, along with video of impromptu performances of each song can be found on www.HiltonJourneys.com later this month, as well as in-room at participating Hilton hotels.
The 2006 “Travel Should Take Your Places” campaign was recently recognized with the coveted Best in Show Adrian Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), along additional accolades for other elements of the campaign, including HiltonJourneys.com and public relations initiatives.
In addition to its music-themed advertising campaign, Hilton Hotels is a 17-year sponsor of the GRAMMY Awards and the creator of the “Hilton Harmony Tour,” a touring piano that has been collecting musician autographs around the country since the program’s debut at the 2006 GRAMMY awards. For each signature collected Hilton has donated $1,000 to the GRAMMY Foundation’s music education programs. The Hilton Harmony Tour piano collected 112 signatures on its nationwide tour of 12 Hilton hotels, resulting in a $112,000 donation in support of music education. This summer the piano will be auctioned off in collaboration with Julien’s Auctions and Sotheby’s with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the GRAMMY Foundation. Visit www.HiltonHarmonyTour.com for more information.
About Hilton:
With more than 500 hotels on six continents, Hilton Hotels continues to be an innovative leader in the full-service hospitality segment and the most recognized name in the industry. Hilton celebrates the accomplishment, enlightenment, renewal and celebration that travel enables. This commitment to personal guest achievement infuses all decisions about products, programs and amenities, and is underscored by the belief that travel can and should be transformative. Each unique Hilton Hotel was designed to reflect the sense of place of its location; each team member chosen to reflect the local culture and community. For more information, please visit www.hilton.com.
