Judy Greer knows you don’t know her name—and she’s okay with that. Hotel brand Sonesta International is also well aware that its name might not be on the tip of your tongue yet, but it’s hoping to change that with its first mass-media campaign in its 80-year history.
Sonesta partnered with creative and consulting agency RO New York to launch “Famous Yet Nameless,” a boldly self-aware brand awareness campaign featuring the veteran actor. The Archer and Reboot star takes the opportunity to poke fun at her status as “the lady from that thing” while experiencing the hotel’s amenities and helpful staff.
“You’ve seen me in countless TV shows and movies,” Greer says into the camera while walking past curious guests doing double takes. “You know my face like the back of your hand. But…what…is…my…name?”
Armed with an affable response to being asked, “Haven’t I seen you in…?” Greer confides that being nameless does have its perks—one of which is being able to privately enjoy the hotel’s many amenities. She then delivers two perfect reveals in the forms of a picturesque view from her hotel room and a spot-on brand message: “What people truly remember is an excellent performance.”
A stay by any other name
“From the beginning of the ideation process, we approached the campaign with authenticity and transparency, which we felt was critical to accurately illustrate Sonesta,” said Rony Zeidan, founder and chief creative officer of RO New York, in a statement. “We know that Sonesta has been an established hospitality brand with limited name recognition, and is embarking on a new path forward, so that drew us to the idea of veteran actors who have played many roles across genres that have maximum face recognition but minimal name recognition.”
Greer herself couldn’t help but cheekily acknowledge the rarity of her star turn, saying in a statement: “I am very thankful to Sonesta for making me their leading lady in their new brand campaign, which historically hasn’t always been the case.”
Elizabeth Harlow, Sonesta’s CMO, told Adweek that the transparency of the campaign immediately clicked with the brand’s team and stakeholders.
She shared, “Everyone was immediately on board and said, ‘Oh my God, this is a perfect representation of who we are and where we want to go.’”
As for Greer, Harlow feels she was the ideal person to deliver the brand’s honest messaging: “We love Judy, and if we can work with her [again] in the future we would absolutely love to.”
A brand with an extended length of stay
While more recognizable competitors like Hilton and The Four Seasons made news in 2022 for either featuring iconic family members in big marketing pushes, or rebranding their notoriously “stuffy” images, Sonesta International was flying under the radar while it underwent some necessary housekeeping.
“2022 was really a year of foundation building, and now it’s time to make some noise and bring our message to the world,” said Harlow. “I think you’ll see more of us in terms of being present in the conversation around hospitality.”
Harlow told Adweek that prior to joining Sonesta a year and a half ago, the brand—which she lovingly calls “an 80-year-old startup”—was comprised of 60 properties and grew to 260 shortly after her arrival. With the acquisition of Red Lion Hotels in May 2021, the company has since expanded to 1,200 properties and recently added The James and Sonesta Essential to its growing roster of brands under the Sonesta umbrella.
Despite its longevity in a crowded industry, the company has never had a full-scale marketing push, according to Harlow, which left the portfolio’s brands undefined during a time when savvy (and sometimes gimmicky) brand distinction became the standard for discerning travelers.
“We really kind of had to establish our brand positioning and who we are and what we stood for and who our target guest was,” said Harlow. “The company is 80 years old, but we’ve never done any kind of awareness plays to speak of, and we know we have this opportunity. From the data side, we also know that today’s consumers and customers want transparency from a brand.”
The “Famous Yet Nameless” campaign, which began its media rollout Jan. 2, is also the brand’s inaugural foray into a “digital-first” approach, and includes connected TV placements on Hulu and YouTube, programmatic, retargeting and paid search. Digital ads will also run via billboards, bus shelters, elevator screens and taxi cabs. Razorfish is Sonesta’s media agency partner for the campaign.
Harlow told Adweek the campaign will run in four phases through 2024, with Greer kicking off the first phase, followed by a second phase featuring content created by travel and lifestyle influencers Hannah Ann Sluss, Mada Graviet, Luann Diez, Dayna Bolden and Mary Ralph Lawson.
“We hadn’t really dabbled in [the influencer space] before, so that’s also new for us as a brand,” said Harlow. “[There’s] more to come on these following phases of ‘Famous Yet Nameless’…because we don’t want to remain nameless forever.”
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