“A room for every kind of Valentine”
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples. Singles deserve a little love too, starting with self-love. That’s the idea behind the new Valentine’s Day campaign from MEININGER Hotels, starring drag queen Rachel Intervention. With the “Lonely Hearts Hotline,” the hotel brand puts the spotlight on everyone for whom February 14 means more than a classic couples’ holiday, and breaks with traditional Valentine’s Day clichés.
Instead of texting a (toxic) ex, the campaign invites people to treat themselves, for example with a short city break. Couples get their share too: in place of the obligatory champagne in the room, they get the best date tips for quality time that really counts. And if things get a little rocky along the way, MEININGER has that covered as well: the beds are easy to pull apart. Because at MEININGER, there’s “a room for every kind of Valentine.”
At the heart of the campaign is the collaboration with Berlin drag queen Rachel Intervention. Across several spots, she steps into the role of a MEININGER team member, sometimes at reception, sometimes in housekeeping, and runs the Lonely Hearts Hotline with plenty of charm. She shares tongue-in-cheek love and relationship advice and tackles topics that keep coming up online, especially among younger generations, such as attachment issues, commitment problems and ghosting.
The campaign’s message also struck a chord with Rachel Intervention herself:
“It was a real honor to be part of this campaign, especially because it puts the focus on self-love, something that often gets overlooked these days. During the shoot, the whole team and the hotel staff made me feel incredibly welcome. Lots of love to everyone involved! My Valentine this year is definitely MEININGER Hotels!”
Visually, the campaign features a retro-inspired look that reflects the playful, open-minded character of the MEININGER Hotels brand. Humor serves as the central storytelling element and underlines the brand’s people-first approach. “At MEININGER, we welcome all people and all kinds of travelers. Our goal is to create unforgettable experiences for our guests. And that’s exactly how we should see love: whether you’re in a relationship or on your own, it deserves to be celebrated. And who knows, maybe a trip is the perfect opportunity to fall in love all over again?” says Malin Widmarc-Nilsson, Vice President Commerce at MEININGER Hotels.
The campaign runs on the MEININGER website, in the B2C newsletter, across the brand’s social media channels and in paid ads. MEININGER produced it in-house at the MEININGER Hotel Berlin Airport and developed the concept together with Berlin creative agency Good Optiks.
And what would MEININGER Hotels be called as a drag queen? For Rachel Intervention, the answer is clear: “Ivana Getaway.” As in “I wanna get away.”
