The brand’s biggest ever campaign to support £650 million Holiday Inn relaunch

Holiday Inn is launching its biggest ever advertising campaign this week to support the £650 million ($1 billion) global relaunch of the brand.

The £65 million ($100 million) Stay You campaign is designed to show how guests can relax and be themselves when staying at a Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express. It coincides with the final stages of the Holiday Inn relaunch, a £650 million ($1 billion) investment across more than 3,300 hotels worldwide. Due to complete by the end of 2010, over 2,200 hotels have already been relaunched, creating a more contemporary image, increasing quality and driving consistency at Holiday Inn brand hotels globally.

The relaunch focuses on the things research shows matter most to guests - a modern hotel with efficient, friendly service and a great night’s sleep. The programme includes extensive staff training, a refreshed guest room and bathroom, custom scents and sounds and new signage with the redesigned logo.

The Stay You TV campaign kicks off in the US on May 2 during Sunday night baseball and in the UK on 3 May on ITV1 during Joanna Lumley’s Nile programme.  This is the first time Holiday Inn has advertised on TV in the UK since 2002.  The multi-media campaign will also feature TV, press and online ads in the US and Germany – the first time the brand has ever advertised on TV in Germany. Print ads will also run in Mexico, Latin America, Asia and Australia.

Andy Cosslett, CEO, InterContinental Hotels Group, said: “Stay You is the biggest advertising campaign in the 58 year history of Holiday Inn. We’re more than two thirds of the way through the relaunch so we want to let our guests know things have changed at Holiday Inn. Since 2004, we have removed 1,200 poorer performing Holiday Inn hotels and added 1,500 new ones, rejuvenating the estate. And by the end of 2010 almost half of the Holiday Inn hotels around the world will be less than 10 years old. The level of support behind this campaign reinforces our confidence in the Holiday Inn relaunch which positions us well for the upturn in the economy when it comes.”

McCann Erickson Manchester created the campaign across Europe with the McCann Erickson network developing the campaign globally.

In June 2009, Holiday Inn signed up as the official hotel partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.