Hilton wanted to drive consideration of the brand and resonate with a new audience. Its campaign - a hotel industry-first TikTok activation, launched in October 2021, while there was still much uncertainty around travel. It aimed to create an optimistic and light-hearted tone to celebrate the return of travel post-lockdown.
It challenged travel ad clichés - while competitors focused on typical shots of couples lounging in a pool, Hilton upped the energy and focused on relatable holiday moments that would engage younger TikTok users.
The idea focused on a group of Tiktokers who were invited to a Hilton hotel and handed a typical ad script. They decide to reject the norm, however and do Hilton in their own way, emulating the #HowDoYouHilton. A blend of professional shots and mobile footage, shot by the TikTok creatures, showed them shedding the ‘perfect holiday’ image and just having fun in the hotel, enjoying their holiday on their terms. The shots and camera movement incorporated a shaky, unpredictable style, heightening the spontaneity of the creators, who also had the opportunity to post their own content. The campaign used some of TikTok’s highest impact formats, such as TopView and OneDayMax.
Over the course of six weeks, the campaign generated a significant number of views and successfully shifted brand favourability, meaning people were more likely to favour Hilton over competitors once they had seen the ads.
Judges highlighted the fact that the campaign was well thought-through and said it delivered great results.
Shortlisted:
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