citizenM: A Bold, Unique Brand Bringing Personality and Versatility to the Hospitality Industry
Earlier this year we obtained business with a company called citizenM. They are a hotel chain based out of the Netherlands. Its first hotel was opened in Amsterdam in 2008. They have since expanded globally with several in the United States. The company is unique in terms of its style, brand, and POV. The hotels are extremely beautiful both inside and out. They take great pride in the appearance of each location from the facade down to how the towels are folded in all the bathrooms.
The people who work at each location are unique as well. When they open a new location they hold what they call "auditions." At citizenM you are more likely to be hired if you possess a big personality and are willing to do what most people would do when it comes to a service industry job. When you are hired at citizenM you aren't assigned to one specific position. Everyone assumes multiple roles that include everything from helping guests check in to bartending as well as food prep and service. So it's unique in terms of always having something new to do when you show up for work and can expect a busy day assuming multiple roles and assuring guests have a great experience.
The campaign we were hired to execute was for the launch of citizenM's newest hotel in Austin, TX. Before the project reached the creative stage, analysts and project managers worked to define the client’s needs and establish campaign parameters. Once it landed on my Creative Director’s and my desk, we learned the focus would be heavily on social media and job sites. To prepare, we conducted thorough research into citizenM's brand, voice, and digital presence, ensuring we could build on their existing identity effectively.
Our initial round of creative featured static posts emphasizing messaging and directing viewers to a landing page developed by citizenM's internal marketing team. However, the client felt it missed the mark, so we returned to brainstorming. I proposed leveraging carousel posts as an engaging alternative, using dynamic visuals of the hotel and employees in action to capture attention and pique interest in careers with the company. This fresh approach allowed us to tell a more compelling story and better align with the client’s goals.
The carousel idea received mixed feedback. While the client appreciated the visuals, they felt the carousel format was too confusing for users. They wanted something more direct, exciting, and attention-grabbing. After a brief discussion, we decided to explore video posts combined with animated text. Initially, this seemed like a promising direction, but we quickly discovered that the client didn’t have enough video content to fully support the idea. To work around this, I sourced some of their previous videos from YouTube and mocked up a few posts. While the client liked the concept, they raised concerns about copyright infringement since the footage had been filmed and produced by a third party.
Despite these setbacks, the client was intrigued by the idea of incorporating animation. With time running out, my Creative Director and I held a brainstorming session to quickly pivot. Together, we developed the idea of using quirky, TikTok-style micro animations featuring elements inspired by items found in their hotels, paired with animated text. This approach not only captured their brand's playful and modern aesthetic but also fit their need for engaging, unique content. The client loved it, and the project moved forward successfully.
I quickly created four animations based on the new concept, despite having limited production time. We adopted a "less is more" approach to streamline the process and present focused, impactful content to the client. While my Creative Director took on sourcing imagery and crafting copy, I concentrated on building the animations in various layouts to ensure compatibility across multiple platforms.
Balancing the need for cohesive design across different formats was initially challenging, but once I found my rhythm, everything started to align seamlessly. Over the years, I’ve learned that having a great idea is just the beginning—the ability to execute it effectively is what truly brings a concept to life.
Turning Challenges into Creativity: CitizenM's Austin Launch Campaign Transforms with Animation
Once the animations were finalized, we uploaded them to Vimeo for client review. The initial feedback was overwhelmingly positive, though they provided input on refining the copy and adjusting the CTA placement. After a few rounds of collaborative revisions, we reached a version that satisfied everyone, and it was time to launch the campaign.
The animations were rolled out across multiple platforms over a few days, and the results exceeded expectations. The campaign not only achieved impressive numbers but also drove real-world impact, with hundreds of applicants attending the hiring event. Overall, the campaign generated 26,000 clicks, 40,000 social media engagements, a 1.72% click-through rate, and over 1.5 million candidate impressions.
The client was thrilled with the outcome and requested we repurpose the content for another hiring event later that year in Menlo Park, California. That campaign saw equally strong results, solidifying the success of our creative strategy.
Campaign Stats
