Wyndham Hotel Group - Wyndham Rewards Wyzard - Crystal Ball :30 (USA)

Some of the most memorable campaigns throughout history have been character advertising. Who can forget the suave Milk Tray Man, the sexual frisson of the Gold Blend Couple, the synthetic warble of the Cadbury’s Smash Aliens, or a campaign so impactful that the most famous book in advertising is named after it: Mr Whipple and his constant refrain, “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin."

I’m not talking about work that wins big at Cannes and then suddenly fades into obscurity a few months later, but relatable human stories that make a genuine impact on people, ideas and culture.

Fitting then that this exciting new campaign for Wyndham Hotel Group is made by an agency that aspires to change exactly that. Produced in partnership with People, Ideas and Culture's own production wing CY&N by PI&C, Wyndham Rewards is investing $100 million in the new campaign, which stars Kristofer Hivju who you’ll better recognise swinging an axe into someones head, over on “Game of Thrones”. The campaign will include TV and radio spots, digital media assets and on-property collateral at more than 7,500 hotels worldwide.

There’s artistry at work making ads like this, condensing a host of key deliverables and a complex hierarchy of information in a tiny little 30 second package. To do so is tough, to do so in an amusing manner is near impossible. PI&C have succeeded in this endeavour beautifully, by creating a character who eats up the scenery and who is genuinely fun to watch.

This series of TV spots feature the Wyndham Wizard conjuring up waffles to a man who loves them just a little too much, delivering the absurd pun ‘Hotelionairre’ and magicing up a sex joke into Prime Time television.

Of course, this isn’t just fun and games; there’s a deeper psychological insight here. Business people (who I imagine are the most likely to collect reward points at hotels around the world) probably don’t relish more than a few of their jetlagged days.

By focusing the entire campaign around the concept of “You’ve Earned This”, Wyndham is positioning itself as a champion of the working man, the frequent flyer. “We get you” they’re saying. In terms of sheer linguistic similarities one might draw a comparison with UK Cider brand “Strongbow” and their “Earn It” campaign which has been running for years now. That’s where the similarities end though; this feels like a much more coherent and focussed work, with a strong character to link it together rather than a series of unconnected vignettes.

I look forward to seeing where this campaign goes next, it would be interesting to see it as a :60 rather than a :30 at some point in the future, although one might argue that the rapid window of the half minute spot is where character campaigns flourish best. After all, Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan didn’t need longer to impact a generation.

The creatives behind the three TV spots are Ciaran Murphy, who previously worked at McGarryBowen London, Stefania Sessa (previously of Saatchi & Saatchi Milan), Katie Redmond and Clara Calvo Sotelo. They were directed by Mike Maguire of MJZ.

Client: Wyndham Hotel Group
Agency: People, Ideas and Culture