HSMAI SPECIAL REPORT
2023 Adrian Awards: Platinum and Best of Show Award Honorees
Best Practices in Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising & Marketing
INTRODUCTION
The 2023 HSMAI Adrian Awards, back in NYC, celebrated the best in creative digital marketing, advertising, and public relations. Under this year's theme, "Wander Love," we saw campaigns that highlighted the joy of travel in innovative ways.
This year's entries showcased the power of storytelling and high-quality content, using new technologies and unique experiences to engage audiences and drive impressive results. Campaigns focused on enhancing guest experiences, boosting engagement, and increasing sales through creative and thoughtful approaches. From redefining luxury to leveraging viral sensations, these campaigns demonstrated the importance of creativity in reaching diverse audiences and deepening connections with destinations.
As the industry evolves, PR, digital marketing, and advertising will continue to be vital in connecting and inspiring wanderlust in travelers.
To see more photos from the 2023 Adrian Award Celebration, check out the Winners Gallery.
Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA,
President and CEO, Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
About HSMAI
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is the hospitality industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. HSMAI provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as HSMAI’s Revenue Optimization Conference, Marketing Strategy Conference, Sales Leader Forum, and Adrian Awards. HSMAI offers organizational and individual membership, with more than 7,000 members in four global regions — the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. — hsmai.org
Platinum Winner—Digital
Atlantis Paradise Island, The Bahamas
Agency: LogicBomb Media and GlueIQ
Public Relations: PR Campaign Consumer
New Atlantis Website
BACKGROUND:
The entry aimed to enhance the online experience of Atlantis Paradise Island to increase reservations and revenue through the website. The entry used a new website design, experience-based content, video content, high-quality imagery, and interactive features to achieve these goals.
CAMPAIGN:
The campaign aimed to enhance the online experience of Atlantis guests, increase engagement, and drive bookings for rooms, dining, and activities. The campaign involved launching a new website that featured experience-based content, video content, high-quality imagery, and interactive games and blogs.
RESULTS:
Impressive results, such as a 5% increase in website revenue, a doubling of keyword count, an increase in average user visit duration, a decrease in bounce rate, and a shift from phone to online bookings. The entry also claimed a 289 to 1 return on investment.
Platinum Winner—Integrated Campaign
Destination Canada
Agency: TravPRO Mobile
Integrated Campaign: Business to Business
Destination Canada Specialist Sales Companion
BACKGROUND:
Destination Canada Specialist Sales Companion, an integrated campaign in the business-to-business division. The campaign falls under the category of Integrated Campaign and the classification of CVB/Destinations/Offices of Tourism. The entry organization country is Canada. The goal of the campaign was to rebuild Visit Canada's global B2B engagement platform as a mobile-first platform, surpassing the Aussie Specialist program with advanced technology and a deep learning library. The campaign aimed to increase new advisor registrants, improve engagement and retention, and increase sales.
CAMPAIGN:
The campaign aimed to increase the sales of Visit Canada by training and engaging travel advisors around the world on the diverse and unique experiences that Canada offers. The campaign used TravPRO Mobile, a mobile-first platform that provided a comprehensive learning library with over 40 chapters on various provinces, cities, and experiences in Canada. The platform also included sales and marketing tools, such as videos, brochures, and itineraries, to help advisors promote Canada to their clients.
RESULTS:
The campaign exceeded its goals by attracting over 27,000 global travel advisor registrants, achieving a 61% graduation rate, maintaining an average monthly engagement rate of over 53%, and generating over $3.8 million in reported bookings from just three markets. The campaign also achieved a 34:1 return on investment and surpassed the Aussie Specialist program as the largest B2B training library in the industry.
Platinum Winner—Public Relations
South Dakota Department of Tourism
Agency: Lou Hammond Group
Public Relations: PR Campaign Consumer
The South Dakota Corn-Bassador
BACKGROUND:
The goal of the campaign was to harness the viral exposure of the “Corn Kid” to propel South Dakota to a national conversation and reach new audiences. The campaign aimed to convert Tariq, the “Corn Kid,” to be a South Dakota ambassador/spokesperson, merging his love for corn with a new appreciation for family fun in the state. The campaign also aimed to engage state officials and tourism partners to educate a national audience about the diverse, lesser-known regions in South Dakota and develop resources for traveler use to plan a visit. The campaign had a goal to secure 100 earned editorial placements and 500,000 social media engagements that promote South Dakota’s family-friendly offerings and agritourism.
CAMPAIGN:
The campaign invited Tariq to visit South Dakota's corn-related attractions and other tourism sites, and honored him as the first-ever "Corn-Bassador" with a proclamation from the governor. The campaign also developed a Corn-Bassador itinerary for travelers to follow Tariq's footsteps.
RESULTS:
The campaign generated more than 2,320 earned media placements, 46.6B+ impressions, $69.7M+ in media value, and 8.3M+ social media engagements. The campaign also contributed to a record-breaking visitor spending in South Dakota and increased traffic to the lesser-known regions featured in the itinerary.
Platinum Winner—Public Relations
Tourism Australia
Agency: Turner
Public Relations: PR Campaign Consumer
Tourism Australia Come And Say G'Day Campaign
BACKGROUND:
Tourism Australia launched its new Come and Say G'Day campaign in the United States on October 19, with the goal of reigniting U.S. traveler interest in the destination as a vacation destination post-pandemic. The campaign introduced the organization's new Brand Ambassador, Ruby, a souvenir kangaroo, brought to life with CGI animation and voiced by Australian actress and Australian Tourism Ambassador Rose Byrne.
CAMPAIGN:
The campaign's objectives included generating 500 million incremental impressions on the campaign’s earned media impressions across print, digital, and broadcast media within the U.S. and driving unique views of the campaign’s hero asset, the G’Day short animated movie.
RESULTS:
As a result, the campaign goal target was more than doubled, securing 1.06 billion earned media impressions through 516 placements, largely driven by national US TV placements and online syndication of content in US media. Based on ad equivalency of $6.67 million from earned media generated, Tourism Australia recorded an ROI of 10:1.
Platinum Winner—Integrated Campaign
Fairmont Hotel & Resorts
Integrated Campaign: Experiential Marketing
Fairmont Beyond Limits
BACKGROUND:
The campaign was created by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a Canadian company, with the goal of positioning Fairmont as the leader in one-of-a-kind experiences and redefining luxury by challenging the norms of what is expected. The campaign aimed to curate unprecedented and unexpected experiences for Fairmont guests and loyalty members, and drive significant room night production through a supporting tactical campaign.
CAMPAIGN:
The campaign featured a series of limited and exclusive activations, such as a symphony in a cenote, an underwater ballet, a vertical stage, a fire and ice dinner, and a cliffside oxygen bar.
RESULTS:
The campaign generated over 3 billion impressions and was featured in top-tier media outlets. It also exceeded the initial goals of bookings and revenue, with a 22% and 12% increase respectively.
Platinum Winner—Public Relations
VisitLex
Agency: Quinn PR and Cornett
Public Relations: PR Campaign Consumer
VisitLEX Presents: Horse Kicks
BACKGROUND:
VisitLEX, the tourism board of Lexington, Kentucky, partnered with QUINN PR and Cornett to launch a PR campaign called Horse Kicks. The goal of the campaign was to differentiate Lexington from other domestic cities and introduce it to new audiences. The campaign involved the creation of Horse Kicks, sneakers designed exclusively for horses, and targeted culture and sneakerhead publications.
CAMPAIGN:
The campaign aimed to boost awareness and enhance perceptions of Lexington as the Horse Capital of the World, and to introduce the city to a niche and passionate audience of sneaker culture and streetwear enthusiasts. The campaign leveraged digital and social media editors from culture and sneaker publications, such as Complex and Hypebeast, to generate buzz and interest for the Horse Kicks.
RESULTS:
The campaign was successful, resulting in over 274 earned media placements, three billion earned media impressions, and an estimated ad value of $103 million. The Horse Kicks brand continues to live on, with ownership transferred to local sneaker artist Marcus Floyd, who has pledged to donate 10% of all future profits to minority-focused charities in Kentucky.
Platinum Winner—Integrated Campaign
Travel South Dakota
Agency: Karsh-Hagan Advertising
Integrated Campaign: Business to Consumer
So Much South Dakota, So Little Time
BACKGROUND:
The campaign aimed to shift the perception of South Dakota as a travel destination and showcase its diverse offerings beyond Mount Rushmore. The campaign strategically positioned the state as an undiscovered and uncomplicated destination, rich in spirit, freedom, and optimism, with the promise that visitors will leave transformed, fulfilled, and as a more whole person than upon arrival with restored mystery.
CAMPAIGN:
The campaign aimed to change the negative perceptions of South Dakota as a travel destination and to showcase its diverse and surprising attractions. The campaign used the slogan "So Much South Dakota, So Little Time" and adopted a new look and feel with curated imagery, hand-drawn graphics, and handwritten text. It also used various media channels such as TV, video, podcasts, digital, social, print, and OOH.
RESULTS:
The campaign exceeded media benchmarks by 70%, generated 180MM impressions, increased brand recall and consideration intent, and outperformed emotion and long-term outlook benchmarks. It also reported over 2,100 flight bookings, over 93k hotel bookings, and $22.6MM in hotel revenue, surpassing the 2019 records.
Platinum Winner—Public Relations
VRBO an Expedia Group Brand
Agency: Expedia
Public Relations: PR Campaign Consumer
VRBO Wows with its 2023 Vacation Homes of the Year
BACKGROUND:
Vrbo launched its 2023 Vacation Homes of the Year campaign to build awareness and trust for the brand through top-tier media coverage. The campaign aimed to highlight the most outstanding vacation rental inventory on its platform, inspire families and friends to travel together, and recognize exemplary Premier Hosts.
CAMPAIGN:
The team curated a selection of the most incredible homes out of the millions of private vacation rentals available on Vrbo. The campaign launched globally in May 2023 in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, and Australia, and was supported by channels including PR, Social, Influencer, Email, Editorial, and Creative.
RESULTS:
The 2023 campaign exceeded the goal of achieving bigger and better results, securing 600+ stories with a reach of 1.65B+.Coverage was overwhelmingly positive and feature stories appeared in more top-tier national, travel, and lifestyle outlets and headlines than ever before. The campaign generated record-breaking results for Vrbo, securing more positive feature stories and headlines in top-tier publications than ever before.
Platinum Winner—Digital
Marriott International, Inc.
Agency: Farrynheight
Digital: Social Media/Social Networking
W Hotels' Instagram
BACKGROUND:
W Hotels launched a rebrand and developed a new strategy for their content, social media, partnerships, and influencer marketing. The goal was to understand why people love to travel with W Hotels and how to extend that to the next generation of luxury travelers. Through research, they found that consumers valued authenticity, intentionality, individuality, and inclusivity.
CAMPAIGN:
With these insights, they developed a strategy rooted in five key initiatives: creating a new content strategy focused on aspirational storytelling, elevating their look and feel, shooting new content around the globe, testing new content formats for the evolving landscape, and working with diverse partners that speak directly to their target consumer. The success of this strategy was measured through reach and engagements, as well as a brand lift study to see the impact on awareness and consideration.
RESULTS:
By modernizing its channels, investing in video, promoting the uniqueness of its hotels, and targeting next gen luxury travelers. It achieved this by creating over 900 pieces of content, generating 89M impressions and 6% engagement rate on Instagram, reaching new audiences with over 226M OTS, and partnering with over 70 influencers and brands. It also increased its awareness by 1.9 pt and consideration by 2.5 pts.
Platinum Winner—Public Relations
Sonoma County Tourism
Agency: Fahlgren Mortine
Public Relations: PR Campaign Consumer
Life Opens Up: Sonoma County Tourism Pause & Effect Public Relations Campaign
BACKGROUND:
Since 2017, Sonoma County has faced numerous natural disasters, including wildfires, floods, and droughts, which have threatened its regional economy. In 2022, Sonoma County Tourism (SCT) became the nation's first Destination Stewardship Organization (DSO). This transformation aimed to promote responsible tourism, encouraging visitors to enjoy, protect, and preserve the land. SCT's goal was to appeal to travelers passionate about sustainability, wellbeing, and transformative experiences. This led to the creation and launch of the PR-led Pause & Effect integrated campaign.
CAMPAIGN:
The Pause & Effect campaign aimed to position Sonoma County as a leader in sustainable travel. It included a strategic content approach focusing on quality media placements aligned with responsible travel and mindfulness. Stakeholders were engaged to amplify efforts, and key partnerships with NBC's TODAY Show, South by Southwest (SXSW), and influencers helped generate awareness. The campaign hosted significant events like Conscious Conversations at SXSW and a consumer wellness retreat in Sonoma County, enhancing the narrative around intentional and mindful travel.
RESULTS:
The campaign secured over 983.5 million media impressions, with coverage on sustainability and responsible tourism increasing from 6% to 58%. Key media placements included Passport.com, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, and TODAY. The SXSW activation engaged over 150 attendees and garnered interest from more than 1,100 people. The NBC partnership reached over 50 million viewers, significantly boosting engagement. Social media efforts resulted in 373,000 impressions and 22,300 engagements. The campaign generated 700,000 incremental trips, with a $262 spend per visitor and $27 in taxes for each marketing dollar spent, showcasing a strong return on investment.
Platinum Winner—Public Relations
Visit Ventura
Public Relations: Special Event
A Small-Town Story of a Big-Time Event: the Journey of X Games 2023 Coming to Ventura
BACKGROUND:
Ventura, a small beach town with a rich history in surfing and skateboarding, saw a unique opportunity to host the X Games 2023. Despite the skepticism surrounding the feasibility of bringing such a large-scale event to a small town within just eight weeks, Ventura aimed to leverage this event to boost its local economy and gain unprecedented media exposure. The town's natural synergy with extreme sports made it a perfect match for the X Games, promising to integrate local businesses and community members into the event, while promoting responsible travel.
CAMPAIGN:
The "A Small-Town Story of a Big-Time Event" campaign was designed to demonstrate Ventura's potential as a host for international events. Key activities included a first-ever drone show, a community Skate Jam, and unique collaborations with 40 local businesses offering special X Games-themed products. The campaign also emphasized community involvement, with local skaters participating alongside professionals and students helping as part of the hospitality team. A comprehensive transportation plan was developed to manage the influx of visitors, ensuring a positive experience for both fans and locals. Strategic partnerships with organizations like Amtrak facilitated the first-ever train wrap advertising the X Games along the California coastline.
RESULTS:
The campaign was a resounding success, securing 5 billion media impressions and significantly increasing public transportation use, with a 482% rise in train boardings compared to the previous year. Local businesses thrived, participating in city-wide initiatives and seeing sold-out merchandise for the first time in X Games history. Hotel occupancy rates rose to 79.8%, and digital advertising efforts resulted in over 608,000 impressions and 78,000 video views. The event not only brought economic benefits but also fostered a strong sense of community pride and established Ventura as a capable and attractive venue for future large-scale events.
Platinum Winner—Integrated Campaign
Courtyard Hotels and Marriott Bonvoy
Agency: 160Over90
Integrated Campaign: Experiential Marketing
This is Where We Fan
BACKGROUND:
As a longtime NFL sponsor, Courtyard and Marriott Bonvoy aimed to captivate their target audience—ambitious travelers who are passionate NFL fans. The goal was to create a consumer campaign that combined the excitement of travel and football throughout the 2022-23 NFL season. The "This is Where We Fan" campaign was designed to showcase how Courtyard and Marriott Bonvoy could provide unparalleled NFL access and experiences to fans.
CAMPAIGN:
"This is Where We Fan" was a season-long campaign featuring unique touchpoints and activations. It kicked off with a social contest where fans submitted videos or photos showing their NFL fandom, using the hashtag #CourtyardFanContest. Prizes included a "Fansgiving" Dinner on the New York Giants' home field and a Courtyard Super Bowl Sleepover at State Farm Stadium. Courtyard collaborated with NFL players and celebrities like Matthew Stafford and Saquon Barkley to boost awareness. Additionally, 11 hotels in NFL markets were strategically branded to emphasize Courtyard’s official sponsorship of the Super Bowl. The campaign, developed in partnership with 160over90, integrated PR, social media, creative, experiential marketing, and partnerships.
RESULTS:
The campaign was a tremendous success, generating over 3 billion media impressions and 22 million social media engagements. Highlights included the "Fansgiving" Dinner, the Super Bowl Sleepover contest, and exclusive events like the Courtyard House Party featuring Bebe Rexha. There were over 2,000 contest entries and extensive engagement from Marriott Bonvoy members, with significant point redemptions for unique experiences. The campaign solidified Courtyard's position as the Official Hotel Sponsor of the Super Bowl and showcased the brand's ability to create unforgettable experiences for NFL fans, all while achieving significant media exposure and fan engagement.
Platinum President’s Award
MMGY Global
Platinum President's Award
Platinum President's Award
MMGY Global has won the Platinum President’s Award, having won the most President’s Awards (8) across all budget ranges, The entries that won President’s Awards (given to the highest scoring entry in each category) are:
- Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities™: Mobility and Accessibility – Public Relations/Communications - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Marketing
- The Land for Life – Digital - Video Multiple Channels
- Quest – Advertising - Television
- TikTok Launch and Growth – Digital - Social Media/Social Networking
- Amplifying Tribal Voices Through Visit Native California – Public Relations/Communications - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Marketing
- Today Show “Spring Fling” Series – Integrated Campaign - Broadcast Integration
- Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Remodels and Rebrands MGM Tower – Public Relations/Communications - Re-Launch of Existing Property
- Chef Brand Building – Book launch, Netflix Series launch Support and Store Launch – Public Relations/Communications - New Opening/Launch