HILTON HOTELS
Challenge
Hilton Worldwide had carved out one of the industry’s strongest reputations for welcoming LGBTQ+ guests as well as staff. But while they heavily invested in inclusion resources such as an adoption assistance program, an Executive Diversity Council and an LGBTQ and Friends Team Member Resource Group, they wanted to do more to engage and celebrate the community at large.
Insight
Capital Pride weekend in early June was the first major city kickoff celebration for Pride month, culminating in World Pride celebrations the last weekend in June. These occasions are some of the most photographed and socially shared ones in the LGBTQ+ community. So, to engage our audience on social, we wanted to create a all-LGBTQ+-community-inclusive, share-to-win challenge that would last all month long, starting in DC and culminating in NYC.
Solution
We turned standard, utilitarian benches at Hilton properties into Instagrammable Pride benches. We designed a series of flower covered benches that popped up across the Hilton hotels portfolio (to include premium properties like Conrad, young traveler friendly properties like Canopy, and family friendly properties like Hilton Garden Inn), each in a different color of the Pride flag with an all white flower bench symbolizing Trans pride. Our campaign encouraged people to visit each of the benches, posting on social, turning the feed into a celebratory rainbow. Everyone that entered had a chance to win a World Pride weekend of their dreams in NY.
Results
5000+ hashtag uses
Coverage in publications like Washington Blade, Metro Weekly, Eater and more
