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Westin launches new US$30m ad campaign

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Westin Hotels & Resorts has unveiled a new US$30 million ad campaign, “For a Better You,” that uses artistic imagery to depict how the Westin brand experience is designed to help guests leave feeling better than when they arrived.

The campaign, which is the brand’s first new ad campaign in more than five years, is devoid of guestroom or property shots typically featured in hotel advertising. Instead, various amenities and features of the Westin hotel experience—dubbed “Elements of Well Being”—are brought to life through a series of images created in a studio setting to illustrate the brand’s signature programming, including the Westin Heavenly Bed, the SuperfoodsRx menu and WestinWorkout.

The Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide brand worked with New York City-based advertising agency BBH to develop the campaign, which consists of six unique executions that are currently running in print, online and in a variety of out-of-home placements.

Westin and BBH commissioned French photographer Grégoire Alexandre, known for his dramatic fashion and high-end editorial work, to shoot the ads. Each ad features a unique and intricate set, with none of the imagery devised using computer graphics.

The campaign executions were created as part of a numbered series to illustrate how every element of the Westin guest experience is crafted for one purpose—”For a Better You.” Each ad begins with an insight for one of the Elements of Well Being and visually captures the essence of each signature Westin brand offering designed specifically to meet that need.

For instance, the Heavenly Bed execution portrays a moment of bliss while underscoring the benefits of Westin’s renowned sleep experience, with the caption: “A good night’s sleep is proven to reduce stress, improve focus, and bolster memory.”

The campaign’s resort execution emphasizes the virtues of vacations in a witty and fashionable way. A glamorous bathing-suit clad woman is standing in a stylized pool of water with an umbrella, and the ad copy reads: “Regular exposure to sunshine is the best natural source of vitamin D. That’s why our resorts lie on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. For a better you.” A second glance at the image reveals a large tropical drink, where towels form a lemon, a beach ball replicates a cherry and an umbrella mimics the type found in a tropical drink.

“Westin’s entire brand positioning stems from our mission of helping our guests better themselves,” says Brian Povinelli, global brand leader. “The campaign is designed to illustrate how we do this in ways that our competition doesn’t and to reinforce the premium experience Westin delivers. We believe our understanding of our guest’s needs is more sophisticated than other brands and wanted a marketing message that reflected that sophistication, and at the same time conveyed lightheartedness.”

The campaign debuts online today, on top news and lifestyle websites such as the Condé Nast Network, Self.com, Epicurious.com, NYTimes.com and Oprah.com. Newspaper print ads in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal will appear in early May, and June issues of Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Self, Bon Appétit, Oprah and Real Simple will also feature ads from the campaign.

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