How Hilton used an absurdly long TikTok to rebrand themselves

Hilton Worldwide using Paris Hilton in their repositioning campaign? That’s hot.

In 2022, Hilton undertook a partial rebrand in a major international marketing effort.

'It Matters Where You Stay' was a TikTok campaign that broke all the rules of the platform.

The exceptionally long, 10-minute video, drew attention to its own absurdity, making fun of the lengthy watch with the help of the queen, Paris Hilton herself.

So what was the point of this extremely long TikTok? The video reminded people that Hilton makes each guest feel truly cared for. It positioned Hilton as the 'hero,' stressing the importance of the hotel stay in one's travel experience.

Until this point, most TikTok users would have happily swiped past a 10-minute video that popped up on their FYP. 

TikTok had long been touting itself as a short form video platform, after all. And, let’s be real, who the hell has time for that? This isn’t YouTube.

However, with this campaign, Hilton subverted expectations for what a TikTok video could look like. The brand used the video to switch users' answers to the question that the advert actually begins with, 'Would you watch a 10-minute TikTok?'

'The cringe meter is extra strict on TikTok,' Amy Ferguson, Chief Creative Officer at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, which worked with Hilton on the 10-minute ad, told Ad Age. '

Ferguson went on to say, 'This was even more amplified because we have a 10-minute video. The risk we were taking was that viewers would leave in the first 10 seconds if we couldn’t capture their attention.'

Good thing they did capture that attention.

In the first 48 hours after launching, the video garnered 3.9 million views, more than a half-million likes, and more than 15,000 shares.

As TikTok has started urging creators to make longer videos, 'It Matters Where You Stay' was a perfect example of how to do it right.

It was also a perfect example of clever brand repositioning.

'While the rest of the travel industry is fixated on the destination, Hilton decided to prove to the world that wonderful things happen where you stay.' – TWBA

Hotel companies are notorious for their mediocre advertising. Most feature similar elements – beautiful sunsets, poolside scenes, the rooftop bar, in all of these glamorised moments.

But this is:

1. Just not realistic, and

2. Selling the idea of travel, not the hotel itself.

And if all hotels have the same message, what makes any one brand stand out?

In reality, hotels shouldn't be advertising 'travel.' Instead, they should showcase the experience of staying in that particular hotel.

Think about it this way. Can you remember a hotel ad that stood out to you and really emphasised the value it adds to the travel experience?

Honestly, I can’t remember one, period.

One of my favourite parts of travel is the hotel experience. The comfy bed, the robe, the room service, the rain shower. Tapping into this insight should be so obvious, I’m surprised others haven't done it before.

But it definitely will be done again, thanks to Hilton. Brand officials said that one of the biggest signs that the campaign succeeded is that some of its competitors have been adopting similar advertising tactics.

'For years, hotels have been reinforcing that they’re anonymous, interchangeable places to rest your head. We flipped the narrative…Not all stays are alike.'

And not all of them have Paris Hilton repping them. Which makes this campaign the one to rule them all.

-Sophie, Writer