Hotel Indigo drops biggest brand campaign in its 20-year history

‘The World’s Neighbourhood Hotel’ campaign is anchored by a 30-second ad with scenes of musicians and artists in the local community where the hotels are. Hotel Indigo’s vice-president of global brand management, Carol Hoeller, says the brand is evolving to get into the “upper scale” of hotel chains.

The campaign’s concept leans into Hotel Indigo’s branding of being more connected to the local neighborhood than its competitors. The campaign strapline, for example, is: ‘When you see the world through the neighborhood, the neighborhood changes your world.’

Hoeller tells The Drum that competitor brands use the word neighborhood in their comms. However, she says at Hotel Indigo, “how we deliver is unique.”

Before a site opens, Hotel Indigo writes a neighborhood story, which becomes the design brief for the hotel. “What it means for us is to be inseparable from the community to embrace the neighborhood’s vibrancy and personality and become part of that community,” she adds.

The ad will run on social, connected TV and cinema and be supported by PR and in-person activations within the hotels. Hoeller adds: “It’s very much a digital-first approach, and you see that come about in many different ways, including connected TV.”

While the ad is squarely for Hotel Indigo, the IHG logo appears at the beginning and end. “That’s been important to the strategy that we continue to test and learn and build upon,” she adds–giving Hotel Indigo room to grow its awareness while linking it to the master brand.

What’s behind the major investment from IHG

It’s a pivotal time in Hotel Indigo’s growth trajectory. The chain currently owns 150 hotels across the globe and is looking to double the portfolio in the next two to three years. “There was a tipping point for the brand, where once the awareness and the distribution grew, we grew and multiplied, which has been exciting to see,” Hoeller says.

During the living cost crisis, the IHG group has seen the biggest growth in its ‘premium lifestyle’ hotels, with Hotel Indigo falling within that segment. Gen Z and millennials are driving much of that growth, Hoeller explains. “This brand resonates particularly with the Next Gen (Gen Z and millennial) traveler, which is a significant segment for IHG, and we see that we see that increased loyalty with that guest set with this brand,” she says. Gen Z makes up 30% of Hotel Indigo’s rewards members.

Along with the campaign and hotel growth plans, Hoeller has also rolled out a new brand identity and service program, setting the tone of how guests should be looked after. “The brand is evolving, and now we are in the upper scale space, where we want to sit,” she says.

The campaign was delivered with help from Stagwell, Anomaly and Allison PR.