Founded in the 90s, W Hotels broke onto the hospitality scene in loud opposition to “The Beige Age” – an era when bland uniformity and cookie-cutter experiences permeated hospitality and culture. In that moment, W Hotels redefined the industry with vibrant, design-forward experiences.
As a brand that had set the tone for decades, this year, they once again sought to disrupt their industry by signalling their mutli-year brand evolution to the world. As part of this 360-approach to experience transformation, TUX was tasked with creating a campaign that would reignite their relevance, giving them permission to reclaim their place as cultural tastemaker in the eyes of an ever more discerning creative class.
Since the cultural landscape has long played a critical role in W Hotels’ success, we set out to explore how today’s context might support its “main character” comeback. If the ’90s were the “Beige Age,” our current era might be dubbed the “Grey Days”—a time when 60% of the world’s objects, items, and materials are now black, white, or grey. This muted palette reflects a broader cultural sentiment: a longing for vibrancy, spontaneity, and escape. W Hotels, known for delivering singular, unforgettable experiences, was perfectly positioned to answer that call.
To bring this campaign to life, we knew we needed more than just a visually stunning execution—we needed identifiable faces with interesting stories to tell. Our talent approach became the hinge for the entire campaign, ensuring that each story felt personal, engaging, and in line with W Hotels’ DNA. We worked with a diverse range of cultural figures, including actor Chloë Sevigny and artist Miranda Makaroff, whose unique perspectives naturally lent themselves to the kind of unpredictable, ‘You Had to Be There’ moments W Hotel is known for.
The visual storytelling was led by photographer Clara Balzary and director Dana Boulous, both of whom have a keen eye for crafting images that feel effortless yet cinematic. But beyond the visuals, we needed a writing approach that struck the perfect balance—something comedic, but not in an overtly “ha-ha” way. It had to be ironic, unexpected, and effortless. To achieve this, we collaborated with writer Pat Regan, whose distinctive voice helped extract truly memorable anecdotes from our talent. Through a series of interviews, we uncovered stories that felt delightfully unfiltered—experiences so specific and surreal, they could only happen at the W Hotel.
The result? A 360-degree brand campaign that invited audiences to check into W Hotels and out of the ordinary. Through “Hotel Tales: You Had to Be There,” we reestablished W Hotel as the ultimate destination for those who crave the unexpected. Our campaign spanned digital video, editorial placements on Vogue.com and GQ.com, and an extensive mix of paid and organic social, ensuring maximum reach and engagement.
By tapping into W Hotels’ long-standing ability to attract cultural tastemakers, we didn’t just create content—we sparked curiosity. Each video and photo encouraged audiences to wonder: Who are they? What have they been up to? What story will I have when I check in? The campaign set the tone for a new era of W Hotels—one where every stay is a story waiting to be told.
The W Hotels campaign launched in December 2024, delivering strong reach and engagement across premium media placements. With 131M+ total impressions, 28M+ video starts, and 13.1M full video views, the campaign captured a high-value audience through a strategic mix of long-form, short-form, and dark social content. YouTube Long-Form drove an 85% View-Through Rate (VCR), with 10.2M full video views, well above industry benchmarks. Dark Social dominated performance, delivering 101M+ impressions, 14.6M+ video starts, and 1.9M full video views, reinforcing W Hotels’ bold, fearless identity across highly engaged communities.
Additionally, the campaign garnered over 25M press impressions, securing features in ELLE, WWD, and AdAge. Organic social performance was also strong, generating 280.3K impressions, reaching 242.8K users, and driving 6.2K total interactions with an above-benchmark 2.2% engagement rate.
This success was driven by a multi-touchpoint strategy, blending long-form video, social storytelling, and banners, ensuring brand awareness and interaction at every stage. The campaign’s seamless integration across platforms, combined with high-quality creative, made W Hotels impossible to ignore, delivering breakthrough results in the luxury hospitality category.
