Hotel chain accomodates rockers

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on October 23rd, 2009

Jim Farber, writing in the NYDN, says that Motel 6, in an effort to “shake up their image,” will offer free hotel rooms to rock bands.

A new promotion links the budget chain Motel 6 with budding rock bands, in hopes of helping poor musicians while also giving the frumpy chain a hipper image. (Right now, the average age of their guests is 35 to 64.)

Initially, the promotion gives rooms to three bands, and all three are signed to one indy label, but the hotel chain says they’ll expand it to other bands. In return, all they ask is that the bands mention the hotel onstage and on their websites.

FOS Aaron Ward brings up a good point: Why not comedians?

Indeed, why not comedians?

We recall a few years back when Super 8 crafted a campaign around loopy comedian Mark Cohen. From Brand Week, March 14, 1994:

Super 8 Motels this week will check $6 million into a new campaign stressing its 1,000 units as pre-eminent stops for budget-minded travelers. Five spots from Grey Advertising track comedian Mark Cohen through the stand-up circuit and as many clean, spacious Super 8 rooms. Spots bear the tagline “Life’s great at Super 8” and air on CNN and TNT. Super 8 spent $4.7 million on ads in 1993, per Competitive Media Reporting.

It’s been 15 years. Comedians don’t have a reputation for trashing hotel rooms like rockers do.

And… Attention Motel 6: Comedians DON’T PRACTICE THEIR INSTRUMENTS IN THEIR ROOMS AT ODD HOURS (like 4 in the afternoon when you’re trying to nap)!

(Actually, we’ve never been kept awake by rockers. We were, however, mightily disturbed when the occupants of the room next to ours, in a hotel in Syracuse, NY, were practicing OPERA! You wanna talk about annoying! Whew! We called the front desk and the caterwauling duo ceased immediately.)

Attention Motel 6 (again): Wouldn’t it be a great idea to purchase a huge banner on the top of the WWW’s most beloved magazine about standup comedy? And hand over a sack of Motel 6 vouchers to the Halves of the Staff? And conduct a giveaway campaign via that same magazine whereby comedians all over the country would have a chance to win free hotel rooms in the Motel 6 chain? We think it would. You know where to find us.

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