Shangri-La rolls out first global push in a decade

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