Best of 2021 – Grand Hotel Advertising

An iconic venue in the heart of Birmingham, The Grand Hotel had fallen into ruin, lying dark for almost 20 years. During the course of a multi-million pound refurbishment by Starwood Capital, we were appointed to create a brand that was fit for a grand dame returning to centre stage. 

But how do you re-launch an icon? With the branding in place, that was our next challenge. For such an ornate and grand venue, it felt only right that the essence of the creative campaign should be as simple as possible. Our creative brief became centred around six words; let the hotel do the work.

With iconic imagery of the hotel as a backdrop, “Welcome Back” became the cornerstone of the campaign. The theme worked on two levels; a famous venue was opening its doors to the public for the first time in two decades and welcoming back guests, while the people of Birmingham were looking forward to proudly welcoming back a local landmark, restored to her former glory. 

As well as multiple interpretations, there’s an inherent confidence in the statement as though saying “we know you’ve been waiting... welcome back.” That confident tone was established early on in the creative process when looking at brand positioning and what we call the “company essence”. “19th century splendour, 21st century attitude” would become a cornerstone to creative and everything that the Grand should stand for.

Working with long time Colt collaborator Simon Willis of Simon4 and photographer Tim Cole, the creative was adapted to outdoor, press and ambient media that made an impact locally, while word of the return of the Grand Hotel spread nationally.