Hilton: IT MATTERS WHERE YOU STAY
Hilton wanted to introduce and educate their General Managers on its new FOR THE STAY brand platform and it’s mantra — IT MATTERS WHERE YOU STAY — and tasked Engine Shop with creating an experience that conveyed the new brand messaging and ethos at the EMEA Hilton GM Conference in London. Using a playful combination of escape rooms and immersive theater, we created a worst-nightmare lodging scenario where General Managers learned firsthand what sets Hilton above and apart from its competition.
Campaign-inspired clues that highlighted competitors’ shortcomings and Hilton’s benefits revealed a 7 digit phone number that when dialed on the room’s phone allowed them to call a Hilton front desk to escape to a hospitality experience that educated and entertained. While the exercise gave employees confidence in Hilton’s new platform, it also served a team-building purpose—GMs solved the puzzles in small groups, with a live leaderboard tracking which of them escaped in the quickest time.
Check-In Desk: The first part of our guests’ journey saw them greeted by sullen, surly, apathetic front desk workers in a dingy decrepit lobby reminiscent of hotels that one might choose over a Hilton save a few quid. Before being sent off to their ‘accommodations’, guests were provided with a brochure that contained the clues needed to escape.
The Escape Room: Unkempt, uncleaned, and exemplifying all the things that make Hilton a better Stay over the competition, the room was filled with environmental clues that tied back to the TVC and new brand platform. Hidden fees that other hotels slyly tack on to your bill, strange expired food and off-putting hosts of AirBNBs, and pet unfriendly policies were some of the clues showing that Hilton rises to the occasion where others fall flat. Along with the brochure was an actor as a fellow guest stuck in the room, giving subtle hints and guidance to parties as well as adding an additional layer of atmosphere and immersion.
Escape to Hilton: After guests discovered the correct 7 digits to call Hilton, the exit door automatically opened up and lead them to an idealized glamorous vision of a Hilton front desk. Actors playing the role of front desk employees treated our GMs to the hospitality that makes a Stay at Hilton so unique, and offered food and beverage for them to enjoy as they explored the space. The walls were adorned with framed vignettes that highlighted RTBs, as well as a larger than life print of the IT MATTERS WHERE YOU STAY tagline. Guests were delighted by TVC inspired photo ops, and a full LCD wall displaying OOH ads from the diverse crowd’s respective home regions.
To show our GMs that they’re an essential part of the IT MATTERS WHERE YOU STAY campaign, we sent them off with a keepsake: a green screen photo op integrated them into OOH ads which were printed, framed and distributed.
