Hotels.com is introducing a new mascot to promote savings available through the Expedia Group-owned travel-booking site, according to a press release.
Bellboy, an anthropomorphic hotel desk bell standing about 18 inches tall, stars in a new campaign supporting a sale running through May 26. The effort, which includes a jingle, appears on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, as well as Hotels.com’s website and app.
Bellboy will begin cropping up in Hotels.com’s global marketing in the coming weeks. The brand is switching up its ambassador strategy at a time of turbulence for the travel industry, which is contending with the chaos of President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.
Hotels.com is putting a mascot front-and-center in its marketing once again, this time through what the platform bills as the first “spokesbell.”
The brand, previously known for ads featuring a Captain Obvious character played by actor Brandon Moynihan, is tweaking its approach with the puppeteered, cartoon-like Bellboy, who is meant to exude confidence while sharing travel hacks and savings learned from an upbringing in the hospitality industry. A major part of Bellboy’s directive is educating people about tools available via the Hotels.com app, like a new price alert function that notifies users when a hotel they are watching drops its rates, that could help drive loyalty.
Social media videos backing Bellboy are soundtracked by songs with on-the-nose lyrics describing Bellboy — “He’s a bell, he’s a boy, he’s Bellboy!” — and touting a major sales push running through late May. As part of the program, Hotels.com is offering consumers 25% or more on a wide array of stay options, as well as the chance to earn 50% more rewards on bookings. The deals-focused campaign lands ahead of the summer travel rush but comes as consumer confidence plunges amid fears of a recession spurred by tariffs.
Hotels.com sunset Captain Obvious in 2022 after employing the uniform-wearing mascot developed by agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky for nearly a decade. In the interim, the company has experimented with character-free advertising, including through a campaign last year, “Introductions,” that positioned its platform as a “matchmaker” for travelers and hotels. “Introduction” was created by Anomaly.
Mascots are having a bit of renaissance as marketers latch onto recognizable icons that can translate across media channels. Hi-Chew and Buffalo Wild Wings are among the brands that have introduced animated spokescharacters in recent years.
(Copyright:MarketingDive Hotels.com returns to mascot-focused marketing with Bellboy character | Marketing Dive)
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