Hilton Emphasizes Loyalty Perks to Score +16% Ad Breakthrough

New research highlights how top hotel and home share brands are making their mark with high-impact ad campaigns in the first half of 2025. The data, from MarketCast Brand Effect, was used to analyze campaigns by ad breakthrough (the percentage of viewers who remember the content of the ad and can correctly tie it back to the correct brand). From humor and celebrity partnerships to emotional storytelling and loyalty perks, the leading ads from Airbnb, VRBO, Hilton and Marriott leaned into distinct strategies to stand out in a competitive travel market.

• On the home share front, VRBO outperformed Airbnb with its standout ad “Host,” starring Nick Saban in a humorous take on the discomfort of sharing a home with hosts. By directly addressing common concerns about competitors like Airbnb, VRBO’s message around whole-home stays resonated, securing an ad breakthrough 15% above the norm. 
• Meanwhile, Airbnb took a more sentimental route with “Kid Sized,” showing a growing family squeezed into the same hotel room over the years. The emotional appeal and clever hotel critique helped the spot perform 9% above the norm for ad breakthrough.
• Looking at hotels, Hilton struck gold with “Hilton Honors, Babe,” an aspirational spot that followed a luxurious girls’ trip fueled by Hilton Honors loyalty points. The spot’s appealing visuals and clear rewards message helped it snag the strongest ad breakthrough of the group — 16% above the norm.
• Marriott, on the other hand, leaned into NFL fan culture with “Fanbassador,” featuring Jason Kelce and promoting its Bonvoy-NFL partnership. While it resonated well with football audiences and offered exclusive game-day perks, the ad had a modest 3% above the norm for ad breakthrough.