Having already deduced that its classic cursive logo was too old-fashioned for consumers’ eyes, Holiday Inn unveiled this “fresh” new look a while back that opts for manuscript and a design that’s about as novel as a MySpace account.
The ho-hum makeover hopefully doesn’t serve as a bad omen for a new national campaign the hotel chain’s now kicking off via McCann Erickson New York, which created two TV ads that tie into the brand’s partnerships with Major League Baseball and Richard Childress Racing.
In a statement, Tom Seddon, CMO at Holiday Inn parent IHG, says,”In the first phase of our campaign we concentrated on the new logo and signage as a way to show Holiday Inn is changing. Now we are focusing on the specific changes that are happening at our 3,200 Holiday Inn hotels around the world. These ads do that in a way that’s fun and relevant for today’s guests.”
Company flack believes the logo redesign, the first in 50 years, helps represent a “strong and confident” company (though “uninspired” could also be intertwined). Still, it’s too early to tell if the new spots and soft website launches included in the new campaign can ever be as effective as this worthwhile endorsement from Ludacris, Chingy and Snoop Dogg.