Marriott Love Travels

A Platform For Turning Pride Into Brand Love

Experiential Marketing, Multicultural Strategy, Brand Campaign

To deepen its connection with the LGBT community, Marriott launched #LoveTravels, a bold multicultural campaign built on authenticity, visibility, and inclusion. Though the brand had long earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, it lagged behind competitors in consumer preference. That all changed when #LoveTravels launched in 2015.

Marriott took its message to the streets—literally—by activating at the Capital and Chicago Pride parades. On custom-designed, wedding-cake-inspired floats, Marriott hosted real, legal same-sex weddings officiated by TV personality Ross Mathews. Each float featured an altar, fresh flowers, live DJs, and friends of the couples.

To amplify engagement, 300+ Marriott associates and a vibrant walking ensemble (including Oxygen’s Prancing Elites) hyped up parade-goers while passing out branded gear. A surprise flash mob from The Harmonizers choir delivered a show-stopping finale that made headlines and hearts swell.

Event attendees were also invited to paint their own personalized tile to demonstrate what love means to them. The tiles were collected at each event and used to create Marriott’s wall of love art installation that travelled the country making appearances inside hotel properties and at buzz events.

The results were staggering: over 1.15 million live attendees, 314M media impressions, two top float awards, and—most importantly—a huge brand perception shift. Marriott soared from last to first in LGBT outreach among hotel brands, according to a national CMI study.

#LoveTravels wasn’t just a hashtag. It was a celebration, a statement, and a story of love—with Marriott leading the way.

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AGENCY: IMG LIVE (now known as 160over90)

SGWX MEMBERS/ROLES:

ECD: Patrick Conreaux

Director of Production: Alex Kreuter