How does the Holiday Inn brand capture a guest? By giving them exactly what they want: water wings and buffalo wings. In a lighthearted approach, Holiday Inn launches today a new print advertising campaign bringing back the familiar American “Great Sign” icon other brand defining hallmarks uniquely associated with Holiday Inn. The ads give a nod towards favorite guest services and amenities - from pools to air conditioning.
The series of seven ads, created by Fallon Minneapolis, mark a new strategic direction for Holiday Inn by celebrating the roots of the brand’s legacy and communicating its relevance to the core values of its target guest, which Holiday Inn has identified as the “everyday hero.” The media schedule will skew to those in the business segment with placements that include the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, as well as dioramas in the Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport for a total spend of close to $10 million.
“The Holiday Inn brand is real, genuine and down-to-earth…just like our customers,” said Mark Snyder, senior vice president, brand management, Holiday Inn. “These ads show that
the Holiday Inn brand knows what matters most to our customers, and the campaign is a fun and humorous take on the services and amenities we know are important to them.”
Each ad features the “Great Sign” against a sunrise or sunset that emulates the experience of an ordinary roadside traveler approaching a Holiday Inn property. Fallon worked with its design company, Duffy, to digitally recreate and contemporize the sign.

“When most of us think of Holiday Inn, we think of that lighted sign,” said Todd Riddle, group creative director, Fallon Minneapolis. “It’s a powerful representation of what people are looking for today—nostalgia, humility, comfort. Holiday Inn is an incredible brand and people have very strong emotional attachments to it. We just wanted to rekindle all of the positive things Holiday Inn has to offer as a brand.”

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