Sonesta aims for higher brand recognition with new ad campaign

Sonesta International Hotels Corp. is striving for broader brand recognition, tapping character actress Judy Greer to headline the launch of a new ad campaign.

The campaign, which is running under the tagline “Famous Yet Nameless,” was created to “drive awareness and reframe the brand to consumers as it continues to grow and evolve rapidly,” according to Sonesta. 

As part of the campaign’s first phase, Greer stars as herself in a video ad, which draws parallels between Greer’s long-running career and memorable roles and Sonesta. The creative was developed in partnership with branding agency RO New York. 

“We know that Sonesta has been an established hospitality brand with limited name recognition … so that drew us to the idea of veteran actors who have played many roles across genres that have maximum face recognition but minimal name recognition,” said Rony Zeidan, founder and chief creative officer of RO New York. 

A subsequent phase of the campaign will leverage travel and lifestyle influencers, who will share curated content and help the company “reach a newer audience,” according to Sonesta. 

Concurrently, Sonesta has bolstered its portfolio with the launch of two new brands: Sonesta Essential and The James, a Sonesta Lifestyle.

Sonesta Essential is billed as concept that will “attract the traveler that just wants to get the essentials done right,” with those essential elements being defined as a comfortable bed and a clean room, among other amenities.

The James, meanwhile, is an extension of The James Hotels brand. Sonesta acquired the intellectual property for The James last April. The James Hotels concept was originated by Denihan Hospitality and currently has a sole location in New York City.

Sonesta said it plans to target “the modernist lifestyle traveler” with its expansion of The James. 

The pair will join Sonesta’s existing brands, which include Royal Sonesta, Sonesta Hotels & Resorts, Sonesta Select, Sonesta ES Suites, Sonesta Simply Suites, Sonesta Cruise Collection, Sonesta Posadas del Inca, Hotel RL, Red Lion Hotels, Red Lion Inn & Suites, Signature Inn, GuestHouse Extended Stay,  Americas Best Value Inn and  Canadas Best Value Inn.

Sonesta has boosted its footprint considerably in recent years with the addition of more than 200 former IHG and Marriott International properties and its acquisition of Red Lion Hotels Corp. in 2020. 

The company had just 58 hotels in early 2020 and currently has around 1,200 properties in eight countries.

Source: Read Full Article