Choice Hotels International has hired 72andSunny New York and Dentsu X as creative and digital media agency of record, respectively. 

72andSunny New York and Dentsu X, which competed in two separate competitive reviews, were hired to increase Choice’s brand awareness as it continues to bolster its portfolio. The hospitality company owns 22 brands including Comfort, Quality Inn and Radisson Hotels Americas.

After buying Radisson in 2022, Choice Hotels aims to better target upscale audiences. It also aims to engage consumers who typically stay at hotels for more than seven days at a stretch, according to the company.

Both new agencies will also work to drive direct bookings and contribute to an overhaul of the company’s rewards program, Choice Privileges, which the hotelier plans to expand and make more experiential.

With 10 brands added to its portfolio in the last five years, “Choice is definitely a company that’s evolved and changed,” said Noha Abdalla, chief marketing officer at Choice Hotels International. “We’re trying to make sure that everybody understands that we have 22 brands, and we have a brand for every occasion that you might want. But also we need to land those messages in the right place at the right time.”

McKinney formerly managed creative for Choice. The Durham, North Carolina-based shop did not defend the business—which it landed in 2019—and referred calls to Choice.

A few agencies, including Havas Media and BCM, previously handled Dentsu X’s remit. Havas Media will continue to lead media planning and buying for TV, according to Choice, and Koddi supports the brand with metasearch advertising. BCM, which is no longer working with Choice, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Choice had U.S. measured-media spending of $98 million in 2023, down from $125 million in 2022, according to figures from Vivvix, including paid social data from Pathmatics. The company’s advertising expenses totaled $195.2 million in 2023, $170.4 million in 2022 and $81.5 million in 2021, according to its latest annual filing. Choice pays for advertising using fees from its franchisees.

In “A Stay for Any You,” a campaign McKinney created to showcase the versatility of Choice’s portfolio, actor and comedian Keegan-Michael Key illustrated the plethora of personas involved with travel. 

Dentsu X is developing and implementing a media strategy for the Key campaign for the remainder of 2024, expanding further into traditional TV and online ads, social media, podcasts and other media channels.

72andSunny New York, meanwhile, is working on building Choice’s next marketing campaign, which is expected to debut in early 2025. Abdalla said 72andSunny’s experience building campaigns that span several years will be essential as Choice looks to “expand” the platform it launched with Key. She highlighted the Stagwell agency’s work for United Airlines, Google and the NFL as particularly impressive.

This is another significant win for 72andSunny, which in June was awarded Cadillac in General Motors’ massive agency review. (Fellow Stagwell creative shop Anomaly nabbed Chevrolet.) Dentsu X recently was named media AOR for Atlanta-based chicken chain Zaxby’s.