Marriott Bonvoy levels up the unexpected in new "Where Can We Take You?" campaign films featuring Manchester United and League of Legends star talent

Marriott International has launched two new films in an exciting and unexpected twist on its ‘Where Can We Take You?’ campaign to showcase its Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotels and experiences.

Created by STING FILMS®, the specialist content division of TBWA\MCR, in conjunction with MOB Films and build a rocket, the new campaign sees the return of the magical hotel lift - The Lift of Dreams - that transports the audience into the unique world of Marriott Bonvoy where guests can expect the delightfully unexpected.

As the lift doors open, the audience gets a flavour of the wide array of experiences and destinations that Marriott Bonvoy offers.

Viewers are given a sneak peek behind the scenes at Old Trafford with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martínez, Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Højlund and Leny Yoro all playing a starring role. Alternatively, the magic lift stops off at the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), opening the doors to one of the world’s most exciting esports experiences where championship presenter, Laure Valée, gives the audience a taste of the action to come.

The new Manchester United films will be shown across social channels from February to the end of March, whilst the LEC set will be shown in-stream during the LEC Winter Split broadcasts. The purpose of this new iteration is to strengthen the impact of the overarching brand campaign to drive awareness of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of 30+ hotel brands in 10,000 global destinations. The new films achieve this by building on existing recognition and recall of key campaign assets, including the Lift of Dreams, while also demonstrating a flavour of the exclusive experiences on offer to guests of Marriott Bonvoy through their partnerships with Manchester United and the LEC.

This will be accompanied by multiple iconic OOH placements including the St Pancras Immersion Zone and the Piccadilly Lights in central London, in continuation with the broader ‘Where Can We Take You?” campaign.

Katie Cox, Senior Director of Marketing, EMEA at Marriott International, commented: “Our strategy was to create ads that would resonate with the gaming and sports communities by aligning with their passions. Partnering with the star power of Manchester United and leveraging the huge excitement around esports as part of our ‘Where Can We Take You?’ campaign puts us in front of our target consumers. This collaboration enables us to engage meaningfully with new audiences and also highlights the diverse travel experiences that Marriott Bonvoy offers around the world.”

Daniel Bickerton, Head of Design & Content Inc. STING FILMS®, added: “Working with such an established, respected brand as Marriott Bonvoy, one of the biggest football clubs in the world and the largest eSports league in Europe is not an opportunity that comes around often! Our films demonstrate how a brand campaign can be developed further by using existing brand assets and partnerships. These films act as a natural extension of previous campaigns, maintaining brand consistency whilst driving heightened engagement and deeper brand recall.”