Ad of the Month - Hilton
At Human Made Machine, we tell you whether your creative will be effective with your target audience. This is crucial, as creative contributes up to 70% of a campaign's success. We test thousands of creatives each month in realistic, simulated media environments using the gold standard of control/exposed experiments to predict real-world impact. To dig deeper into performance, we collect qualitative and quantitative data, analyzing what works - and why.
By the end of 2025, Chinese tourists are expected to take over 155 million international trips, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. According to China Trading Desk’s China Outbound Travel Sentiment Survey for Q1 2025, 72% of Chinese travellers plan to take multiple international trips this year (source). This reinforces that Chinese consumers remain a vital audience for global travel and hospitality brands seeking to connect and grow.
As travel demand accelerates, competition among destinations and brands is heating up. Success will hinge on creating campaigns that connect both culturally and emotionally, especially with younger travellers. Chinese audiences, led by Gen Z, are shifting away from shopping and city breaks toward experiences that feel authentic, personal, and distinctive (source 1, source 2). To explore what truly drives audience connection, we analysed a series of travel ads in China to identify the key factors behind brand resonance.
Winner Spotlight: Hilton Surprise
Hilton’s 15-second “Surprise” ad emerged as a top performer, driving a +23pt lift in Unaided Awareness, +11pt in Consideration, and +18pt in Intent to stay. Its success came down to one key factor: relatability.
In just 15 seconds, the ad captured a series of human moments that felt instantly familiar - guests unwinding in their rooms, a leisurely boxing session, and even a wedding proposal. It opened with humor and maintained an uplifting tone throughout, evoking a sense of warmth and belonging.
Our diagnostic pillars reflected this strong emotional connection. The ad scored highly on Appeal, for its ability to show what is relevant, unique, and interesting, and on Brand Engagement, for its strength in building meaningful connections. It was particularly highly rated on our Brand Affinity and Relevance measures, showing how the creative linked Hilton’s promise of comfort and hospitality to the emotions people associate with travel or special occasions.
At HMM we analyze thousands of qualitative responses to ads (i.e. real human feedback) using AI-powered topic modelling. This helps us understand the key themes that resonate with the audience. For Hilton’s “Surprise”, people spoke of warmth, comfort, and human touch:
The warm feeling makes me feel that accommodation is not just a simple rental, but can also be full of human touch.
Intimate and touching. High-end and comfortable. The ad is concise, and the captivating imagery leaves a lasting impression.
I like the details of the hotel rooms shown in the Hilton advertising video. The soft lighting creates a warm and comfortable atmosphere. I can intuitively feel that I will have a good rest experience after staying there.
People consistently associated the creative with emotional authenticity, citing scenes of togetherness, laughter, and shared experience as particularly memorable.
Hilton’s “Surprise” ad worked because it balanced clear brand storytelling, consistent tone, and genuine, relatable emotions.
Honourable Mention: Accor VIP
Our Honourable Mention this month goes to Accor VIP’s 57-second ad. It too showed success in driving lift in Consideration and Intent to stay, and achieved a strong balanced performance across our diagnostic pillars. It was highly enjoyable, achieving a strong Breakthrough score of 8/10.
With a longer format, the ad followed footballer and brand ambassador Kylian Mbappé through his stay at Accor hotels, capturing moments of calm, care, and comfort along the way. It showcased the brand’s hallmark of high-quality service and thoughtful amenities, illustrating how every detail contributes to a seamless guest experience. The localized voiceover also helped Chinese audiences follow the story naturally.
Audiences echoed the joyful atmosphere created by the ad:
Humanized service, beautiful environment, exclusive courtesy, enjoy
Worry-free travel, spacious hotel, warm and romantic
The resort, the smiling faces, the service staff, and the overall atmosphere make watching the video a joy.
When Emotional Value Is Missing, Performance Suffers
Not all travel ads managed to connect with Chinese audiences.
The lower-performing campaigns showed that when emotional value or cultural relevance is missing, impact diminishes. IHG’s Rewards 30s ad, for example, relied on generic travel footage and broad messaging, resulting in low engagement and weak memorability. Without a clear story or local context, the experience felt distant and impersonal.
Similarly, Airbnb’s Paris 30s ad, while visually distinct, failed to localize its message or showcase tangible details that Chinese audiences value, such as room interiors and design. The result was a lack of clarity and connection. Together, these examples highlight the importance of creating emotional relevance and grounding messages in local context.
At Human Made Machine, we help our partners identify creative that truly resonates and turn that understanding into confident, effective advertising.
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