Booking.com’s Halloween campaign capitalized on one of the USA’s favorite holidays, undertaking targeted communications centered on haunted hotels to drive awareness and recognition for the brand. The campaign reflected the key message that Booking.com offers the world’s widest and largest range of properties. No matter what a customer is looking for Booking.com has it - even haunted hotels.

Highlighting seven of America’s most haunted properties, the movie-style posters targeted those predisposed to frightening content. The hotels’ stories were brought to life through hand-painted designs by renowned illustrator, Akiko Stehrenberger.

Each poster design was based on each hotel’s scary story: a design of 8 trees in the dead of winter representing the 8 ghosts of The 1886 Crescent Hotel, a Victorian doll to reflect the Queen Anne Hotel’s history as a former girl’s school, or the bloody stripes of the American flag representing The Gettysburg Hotel’s former past as a Civil War hospital.

The campaign successfully drove brand awareness & consideration:

• 5% increase in top of mind unaided awareness

• 20% increase in likelihood to book

• 17% increase in likelihood to recommend