Marriott: The Split Sponsorship

Marriott, a hotel brand, increased enrolment for its Bonvoy travel program in Hong Kong by using a rugby legend as its spokesperson and its sponsorship of rugby team the Kong Kong Sevens to produce a video campaign.

Campaign details

Brand: Marriott BonvoyBrand owner: Emily TaiAgency: Ogilvy & Mather Hong KongMarket: APAC

Executive summary

This is the story of how Marriott Bonvoy sponsored an event and then told people not to go. We sponsored an event that is so polarizing three quarters of HKers absolutely hate it. We couldn’t sell a mass travel rewards program unless we found a way to appeal to all HKer’s, not just the fans. By embracing the polarizing nature of the sponsorship and literally helping HKers get out of town and avoid the event we sponsored,...

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