Follow the music.

For more than 60 years, Motel 6 has been America’s budget-friendly hospitality brand that makes travel accessible for all. But in 2023, we needed a way to remind people of this during peak travel season: summertime.

As part of our effort to acquire a new generation of guests, we found that Gen Z over-indexes on attending music festivals, but it comes at a cost: almost half of concert attendees expect to spend between $100 and $499. This puts an estimated 41% of Gen Zers into “concert debt” (Lending Tree).

Motel 6 had a clear role to play as the affordable, accessible place to stay to make attending music festivals possible this summer.

Challenge

We needed to stand out and cement Motel 6 as the place to stay this summer, especially for music lovers.

Modern Consumer Insight

As America’s budget-friendly travel brand, Motel 6 doesn't just help fans attend music festivals, it helps emerging musicians get there, too. By staying at Motel 6, fans aren’t just discovering the bands on the stage - but running into them after the show.

Solution

This led to the campaign, Official Sponsor of Opening Acts™, where Motel 6 helped a diverse group of opening acts, and the fans that love ‘em, follow the music this summer. The bi-lingual campaign included:

A long-form video featuring a real band that stays at Motel 6: Action/Adventure
A long-form video featuring real fans staying at Motel 6 along their music fest journey
A variety of emerging musician and music festival partnerships including:
- AEG: A music festival-focused partnership that included two sweepstakes for festivals Cruel World & Just Like Heaven, as well as influencer (Adam Barerra) and artist (The Cults) content.
- CMS: An up-and-coming musician-focused partnership that leveraged emerging country artist Mackenzie Carpenter for content.
- MAX: A media partner that used proprietary audience data to find relevant artists for Motel 6 guests, specifically multicultural guests. This led to two artist partnerships, Abraham Alexander and Rawayana, each with dedicated campaigns, including music fest/concert sweepstakes.

Solution (continued)

Three radio spots featuring long-time spokesman Tom Bodett revealing fun truths about the music fest journey.
My6 Music Discount Package for bands/crew which included a 10% off promo and 50 discounts for music-related items and services, as well as 6% off and marketplace discounts for food and gas for all My6 members.
ESG sponsorship with the Music Health Alliance, a non-profit organization that works to provide healthcare access and medical and financial resources for music professionals.
Dedicated landing page featuring a list of summer festivals nearby top Motel 6 properties.
Social and email content featuring the real stories of opening acts on the road.

Results

9%
YoY increase in visits to motel6.com.
3.6K+
earned media placements (+ counting).
24%
YOY increase in positive earned sentiment.
54.3MM+
paid impressions to date.

“Whether we're a stop along the highway or the closest lodging option to the venue, Motel 6 and Studio 6 are proud to be the trusted brands for emerging artists, their teams and fans this summer," said Julie Arrowsmith, president and interim CEO of G6 Hospitality, parent company of Motel 6 and Studio 6. "For touring musicians who are just getting started, staying on budget on the road is a must, and Motel 6 offers an affordable, clean and comfortable room to rest between cities and shows.”