8th May 2015

• The campaign showcases how the brand has changed through its upgraded rooms and comfy new king size beds, and that new Travelodge is providing unbeatable value – making it the ‘Travelodgical’ choice for customers    

• The campaign features ‘The Travelodgicals’. These are puppet characters that represent the little value seeker that lives inside each one of us – that part of you that loves finding great value for money 

Today, Travelodge the UK’s biggest independent hotel chain has announced that it is launching a new £25 million fully integrated multimedia campaign to showcase its new upgraded brand transformation, following a £100 million modernisation  investment across its hotels.  The campaign launches on Saturday 9th May 2015 with a new Travelodge advert being debuted during ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and also includes: commercial radio, extensive press & outdoor advertising, and a comprehensive multimedia digital programme.  The campaign will run extensively until the end of this year. 

The creative concept for the new campaign has been created by CHI&Partners and innovatively centres around the inner value seeker in all of us. It showcases how the brand has changed through its upgraded rooms, comfy new king size beds, and that new Travelodge is providing amazing value – making it the logical (The Travelodgical) choice for customers.   

The new advert has utilised an innovative style to engage with consumers by using puppets called ‘The Travelodgicals’ to help communicate that Travelodge has changed. These are characters that represent the little value seeker that lives inside each one of us – the part of you that loves finding great value for money.  

‘The Travelodgicals’ are accompanied by their human counterpart; a range of different customers staying in a Travelodge hotel for various reasons. The cast includes a business customer, a family, and an older and younger couple. Throughout the advert ‘The Travelodgicals’ celebrate what makes Travelodge the logical choice when staying away from home using an upbeat musical theatre-style song to communicate their experiences and what they like about Travelodge. This includes: upgraded rooms, comfy new king-size beds, great locations and amazing value all adding up to the company’s new strapline ‘That’s Travelodgical’.    

Karen Broughton, Travelodge Sales & Marketing Director said: “Now that our £100 million modernisation programme is nearing completion, new king-size Travelodge Dreamer beds have been installed into all 38,000 UK rooms; it’s the perfect time to go out and shout that Travelodge has changed.   

“Our new innovative campaign marks another step on our journey to become Britain’s favourite hotel brand for value. This creative concept reflects the essence of our new Travelodge brand and what customers are looking for, which is a great quality room at a great price, and That’s Travelodgical”.

‘The Travelodgicals’ have been created by Andy Gent, the creator behind Hollywood blockbusters such as Frankenweenie and Fantastic Mr Fox. The full cast of puppets were meticulously hand-crafted to look just like their human counterparts in just four weeks.    

Summary of the new Travelodge advert:

The advert is set in a Travelodge hotel.  The first scene introduces a business customer admiring his new Travelodge room and introduces the idea that all of us have an inner value seeker inside of us (The Travelodgicals).   The ad then goes on to show different Travelodge customers with their Travelodgical character in different rooms and locations. 

Throughout the ad, ‘The Travelodgicals’ celebrate what makes Travelodge the logical choice when staying away from home. Their messages about their Travelodge experiences and what they like about Travelodge includes: upgraded rooms, comfy new king size beds and amazing value is delivered though an upbeat musical theatre-style song. 

The advert culminates in a celebratory chorus from ‘The Travelodgicals’ and ends with the business customer enjoying a good night’s sleep in his upgraded room, on his comfy king size bed. The advert finishes with the new strapline - That’s Travelodgical.

‘The Travelodgicals’ cast includes:

• Business man:  Alex 

• The family: mum – Sophie, dad – Max and daughter - Lily

• The older couple: husband – Tony and wife:  Penny

• The younger couple: boyfriend: Si and girlfriend: Lucy