Wednesday, December 17, 2014

BETHESDA'S MARRIOTT CORPORATION HIRES ACTORS FROM SPIDER-MAN, THE GOOD WIFE FOR HOTEL-THEMED MOVIE

Could the next big screen movie heroes at your local cineplex be a couple of Marriott hotel bellhops? Bethesda's Marriott Corporation is pouring significant resources into its new creative content arm, Marriott Content Studio. Now that venture is moving to your local movie theater and streaming video services.

Two Bellmen, a short film about, well, two bellmen at a Marriott hotel, who (try to) foil thieves at a hotel art event, will be shot January 5-11, 2015 at the Los Angeles JW Marriott Hotel. But the protagonists aren't actually Marriott bellmen. Giving Paul Blart a run for his money will be William Spencer (Spider-Man) and Caine Sinclair (Grimm, How I Met Your Mother) as the titular luggage toters. 

They'll be joined by Henry Simmons (Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.); Miles Brown a.ka. Baby Boogaloo (ABC’s Black-ish); Sophina Brown (Shark; Numb3rs; The Good Wife); noted B-boy dancer Josue "Beastmode" Figueroa (Southland, STEP UP REVOLUTION); Josue Antonio (STEP UP series; The LXD); Taryn Southern (The Single Life); and Stephen “tWitch” Boss (STEP UP films; So You Think You Can Dance; MAGIC MIKE XXL).

Daniel “Malakai” Cabrera will direct.

Marriott, targeting the coveted millennial audience like many lodging companies these days, is banking that putting its brand where that audience is - entertainment, social media - will pay dividends down the road.

It's also making a big splash by becoming the first major hotel chain to join Snapchat, where its @MarriottHotels account will go live tomorrow. That social media effort includes signing up content creators with big followings on a variety of platforms, including Shaun McBride, Brittany Furlan, Casey Neistat, and the UK's Louis Cole. 

Marriott just launched a new travel and lifestyle publication on Medium.com, with a lead-off story about the construction of its new Marriott Port-au-Prince hotel in a post-earthquake Haiti. It's also sending YouTube's Vagabrothers on worldwide trip, to be documented via online videos and posts.

Expect more of this in the future, as corporations try to reach their target audiences while methods like banner ads fade in favor of sponsored content.

2 comments:

Flynn said...

Interesting marketing ideas. Stepping outside of the box. Hope it works!

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Dyer has ever slept with a minority? Inquiring minds want to know!!