ibis intended to build on its successful 2019 ibis MUSIC programme launch, which featured 50+ intimate concerts staged in ibis hotels across 17 countries and culminated with a finale at Sziget Festival, with a bold new approach in 2020 doubling down on in person live events.

However, the pandemic effectively put the whole world on pause, ending international travel and pulling the plug on live music events, from small gigs to major festivals, worldwide.

The brief in 2020 became one of ‘pivoting’ the core ibis MUSIC strategy and activation to become a digital only experience. One that still embodied the core principles of the programme and - with key music industry partners Spotify and Sony Music Entertainment - continue its mission to support musical discovery, up-and-coming artists worldwide and celebrate openness everywhere through the power of live music.

The key objective? To continue positioning ibis hotels as vibrant music hubs.

ibis MUSIC We Are Open aimed to reopen borders and reconnect the world through the power of music while actively celebrating diversity and inclusion.

With travel restrictions still in place in many parts of the world, ibis MUSIC We Are Open enabled the public to “virtually traverse” the globe through the lens of music and discover 16 vibrant destinations. The programme featured a roster of international headliners curated by Sony Music Entertainment and up-and-coming talent from across the world identified in collaboration with bespoke data from Spotify.

The multi-talented artist Charlie Winston, Brazilian superstar Pabllo Vittar, British songstress Izzy Bizu and German hip-hop artist Prinz Pi each showcased a very personal journey as they unearthed three up-and-coming artists that defied stereotypes and convention in their own countries.

These exclusive live performances and intimate insights into how music makes for a more open world were broadcast via Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

The pandemic, lockdown and closed borders made our world a much smaller place, disconnecting people globally from one another. With an 80% anticipated decline in people

travelling internationally, ibis wanted to reconnect its core audience (18-30 year olds) via a powerful force that unites us all – Music. A universal language that knows no borders.

Across the globe we missed people, we missed travel, and we missed the opportunity for enriching live music experiences. But just because we couldn’t travel it didn’t mean we couldn’t go on a journey together. A music journey.

With 82% saying they felt more connected to other people when enjoying the music they love, ibis saw an opportunity to break down barriers both physical and attitudinal – to unite people, beyond borders and stereotypes. Promoting a virtual music tour to share a global message of hope and unity, whilst showcasing ibis hotels around the world.

Launched in October, the tour captured exclusive live performances from artists across 15 key

markets. Hosted exclusively across social channels with an ‘always on, always vibrant’ approach to phasing across 11 months.

Four artists, curated by partner Sony Music Entertainment, were selected to headline each leg of the ibis MUSIC We Are Open virtual tour, with coverage across ibis markets a key consideration.

Each artist performed an exclusive live set from their local ibis hotel - showcasing the experiences, places and vibrant spaces ibis offers its hotel guests worldwide.

Each headline artist additionally selected three up-and-coming artists to perform a live set in their local hotel or a nearby cultural hub to complete each leg of the global tour.

A partnership with Spotify supported the tour; utilising listening data to identify up-and-coming talent, plus releasing regular artist-curated playlists and social media contests to drive engagement and music discovery with fans.

The ibis MUSIC We Are Open worldwide virtual tour was an opportunity to;

- Showcase ibis hotels around the world

- Show that ibis delivers vibrant music experiences within its hotels anywhere in the world

- Support the hotel business in tough times

Three key campaign objectives were identified;

- Awareness (KPI: reach)

- Brand Love (KPI: engagement)

- Recruitment (KPI: followers)

Secondary objectives included continuing to forge an active music community, supporting artists during challenging times, connecting and bringing together people whilst sending a message of hope and inspiration in challenging times.

The campaign produced an impressive set of results;

REACH

15 international markets covered (BR, FR, UK, DE, ES, MX, BL, PT, IT, PL, AU, ID, IN, MA, TR)

Cumulated unique reach of +173.8M

ENGAGEMENT

Total of +1.5M engagements

IMPACT

Great visibility for ibis hotels (+3.5M reach on posts highlighting hotels)

RECRUITMENT

Constant growth in Instagram followers (+24%)