Best Western International has launched a
new advertising campaign, contemporizing the brand while driving at the
heart of today’s savvy traveler. Through a series of both inviting and engaging vignettes, the television
spots showcase the Best Western products and services that come to the
rescue of the guest in-need. Three key markets are targeted during the
five-month campaign: leisure travelers, NASCAR fans and business
travelers. Set to updated versions of the popular standard, “The Best is
Yet to Come,” the commercials include the reassuring message of “Wherever
Life Takes You, Best Western Is There.”

“The strategy behind our new campaign is to bring Wall Street to Main
Street,” said David Kong, executive vice president of international
operations/acting president and CEO for Best Western. “In the past, we
directed our efforts toward building consumer awareness of Best Western as
the world’s largest hotel chain. Today, our focus is on establishing an
emotional connection with our guests through warm, human vignettes. By
emphasizing aspects of our BestRequests(R) amenity program and our
friendly customer service, we are able to illustrate what we do to make
Best Western the world’s largest hotel chain.”

Currently airing nationwide, the first television spot focuses on the
leisure family market. In the opening vignette, the quick, responsive
actions of a Best Western employee make all the difference when a tired
little girl drops her favorite stuffed animal in the hotel lobby. A second
vignette dispels disaster when a mother’s relaxing afternoon by the pool
is about to be disrupted by her mischievous children. Together, the
segments exemplify how Best Western’s customer service goes beyond the
call of duty to assure a pleasant, worry-free stay.

The second commercial in the new series, premiering August 21, is directed
toward the large and loyal NASCAR fan base. In a heartwarming story that
unfolds between a father and son, the Best Western image is modernized
with attention given to specific product offerings. The vignette opens
with the pair checking out the web site of their favorite driver, Michael
Waltrip—made possible by Best Western’s free, in-room Internet access.
Waltrip himself is featured as a guest, defining the hotel chain as the
home to both NASCAR and its supporters. A genuine encounter between the
boy and his racing idol drives home the message that everything a guest—
even one who usually travels at 200 miles per hour—is looking for in a
hotel can be found at Best Western. Waltrip is also shown arriving—
literally and figuratively—in his No. 99 Busch series car sponsored by
the hotel chain, as NASCAR comes to Best Western.

Complementing the NASCAR commercial will be a pair of 10-second direct
response spots designed to drive traffic to the company’s special web
site, http://www.bestwesternracing.com/.

Debuting September 19 will be the third and final ad in the campaign,
specifically targeting the business traveler. From a surprising twist at
hands-on assistance upon arrival, to a convenient solution for a wrinkled
suit, the commercial demonstrates once again how Best Western can ensure
success while on the road.

For the first time in four years, Best Western is also expanding its media
placement beyond broadcast to include national cable television. The
company has bought commercial time on outlets such as CNN Headline News,
Discovery Channel, TV Land, Travel Channel, FOX Sports Net and the Speed
Channel. Best Western has also purchased its first-ever Olympic package
through DIRECTV.

In addition to television, the hotel chain is advertising with select
print and online media, creating a more consistent, synergistic campaign.
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