Shangri-La rolls out first global push in a decade

HONG KONG: Buoyed by the upswing in travel, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has rolled out its first major global campaign in almost a decade. The print campaign depicts the five-star treatment a guest can expect at any of the group's hotels after the stress of modern day travel. The chain's new ad agency has also evolved the tagline from "It must be Shangri-La" of the Batey Couldrey Jones days to "Paradise Found", by TBWA. TBWA has shifted the strategy and execution away from the category's tendency to highlight lavish lobbies, cosy rooms and sumptuous food. "We could have carried on doing what everyone else is doing, but we decided on a more aggressive route," said Shangri-La worldwide group director of sales and marketing Michael Ball. Personalisation, familiarity, anticipating needs and being calmly efficient are messages that have been interwoven into its ads. "All the research shows that whatever enjoyment there was once in travelling has long since been buried in the grind of queues, meetings and 24/7 work." The departure from what has become an industry norm comes a year after Ball's appointment. He said changing the strategy is risky but he stressed that "it is obviously a risk worth taking" because past campaigns did little to differentiate the Shangri-La brand from the competition.

Sign In

Trouble signing in?

Reset Password: Click here

Contact Customer Support at

Customerservice@campaignasia.com