A work-addled American loses his laptop in Paris and finds love in the form of Margaux, a beautiful French woman who tells him, naturellement, to stop obsessing and enjoy life.
No, this isn’t the feel-good romantic comedy of the summer, but a 25-minute film produced by Marriott Hotels that despite its length, logged upwards of 6 million views at this writing.
The film, which took place well before the horrific events in Paris in November, is also possibly the answer to a question plaguing the industry: How can a brand emotionally connect with possible customers?
For a long time, this conundrum stymied many travel companies. When you sell experiences, which is what most travel companies actually do, it’s easy to fall back onto time-worn cliches of beaming businessmen relaxing in first-class or couples walking down a sunny beach.
Smart brands have learned that a customer’s feelings, in many ways, determine what they buy. Instead of selling hotel rooms and airplane seats as commodities, brands are learning to tell stories using video that create an emotional connection with a specific audience.
Marriott International is the leader in this approach. The brand now operates an entire video content studio, which produces original short films and animated clips, to serve its own needs and create content for clients.
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