Austin’s GSD&M has expanded its relationship with the larger Hilton Hotels brand by winning creative duties on a project basis for the three distinct brands within the Suites portfolio of specialty lodging properties.
A Hilton spokesperson wrote, “After a recent agency review, GSD&M has been hired for a new project to support the All Suites brands by Hilton: Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites. … they have been hired on a project basis.”
This review concerned an initiative that will promote the three Suites brands together for the first time. In terms of the size of the assignment, Hilton spent $4.15 million on paid media for Embassy Suites in 2015 and $2.4 million in the first half of this year, according to the latest numbers from Kantar Media. Totals for the Homewood Suites brand were considerably smaller; the parent company spent $1.37 million promoting that property last year.
GSD&M first joined the Hilton agency roster in August 2014, when it beat out David&Goliath, Cramer-Krasselt, incumbent Y&R Chicago and a couple of other unnamed shops to win lead creative duties for Hampton Inn — an account worth $23 million at the time.
The Omnicom shop later picked up digital work for Hampton and Hilton Garden Inn along with Home2 Suites and Homewood Suites; the latter had been with Publicis Kaplan Thaler but left that shop in early 2015 as Hilton began to further consolidate with GSD&M.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity,” said GSD&M CEO Duff Stewart. “It’s a fun little project and an interesting way to approach it. We’re excited by the opportunity to help [VP of Suites marketing and PR] Christian Kuhn and the Hilton folks out.”
GSD&M remains creative AOR for Hampton Inn and a digital agency for all the brands listed above.