As the first international luxury hotel brand to originate from France, Sofitel Hotels & Resorts is celebrating the brand’s birthplace and heritage by launching a new global brand campaign that reaches deeper into its French roots. “Live The French Way,” the campaign’s brand promise, pays homage to Sofitel’s French origin, demonstrates the allure of French style, and reinforces the brand’s position as an ambassador of French art de vivre.
“The goal of Live the French Way is to reinforce Sofitel’s position in the luxury segment and leverage its inherent strengths, while also differentiating the brand from its competitors and injecting a sense of modernity into the brand. We think guests will be delighted to experience authentic French touches through an immersive and luxurious journey into Sofitel’s world, wherever they may travel,” said Steven Taylor, chief marketing officer, Accor.
The brand campaign, which will introduce new programming and guest experiences throughout the year, was co-created with BETC ETOILE ROUGE, a full-service, Paris-based agency offering strategic, creative, and production expertise for luxury, fashion, beauty, and hospitality brands. The campaign integrates exclusive collaborations in film, music, and food.
Photographer and director Charlotte Wales designed a film where worldly voyageurs dive into chic and whimsical experiences. Shot on location in France and China, the campaign invites Sofitel guests to experience the French way of living in an authentic and indulgent way. The voice of the Live the French Way campaign is pop icon Clara Luciani, whose original track “En Voyage” was written and recorded exclusively for Sofitel.
The campaign will also introduce Les Dîners Extraordinaires. Celebrity Chef Yannick Alléno will create dining experiences that present the best of modern French cuisine in culturally rich settings all over the world. Guests will not discover the exact dinner location until they arrive, providing a spontaneous experience of arts de la table.
The campaign will also come to life on social networks through the hashtag #LiveTheFrenchWay. Posts from the brand and its hotels will showcase French style, with guests and travelers encouraged to share their Sofitel experiences as well. A supporting media plan, which will be introduced in 2020, will complement the Live The French Way global rollout and activities.
“Sofitel is a global ambassador of French savoir-faire and art de vivre,” said Joao Rocco, vice president, luxury brand management, Sofitel Brands. “Our ‘Frenchness’ is the attribute most frequently praised by our guests and most often mentioned within their feedback, so we know that our culture is important to them. Our unique sense of joie de vivre is felt at our hotels in more than 40 countries across five continents, and it’s a defining element that has become the signature of our brand.”
