Hotels.com is the obvious choice for booking hotels and over the past three years has been featuring their biggest fan, Captain Obvious, as a walking, talking advocate for the brand. Our task was to keep the character fresh and relevant to the target audience.

Captain Obvious heard there was a race for President and decided to run the best way he knows how, by actually running. When you’re running across the country you need to stay in a lot of different hotels, and you need a simple way to book them. That’s why Hotels.com is supporting Captain Obvious’ presidential race. 

The Captain Obvious Running for President Campaign consisted of five television spots, a full campaign website, fifty-one online state videos (shot in one day), ten pieces of merchandise, a complex interactive rich media experience, twenty-seven downloadable GIFs, two downloadable green-screen video assets, multiple social posts and content on Twitter including Captain Obvious’ take on Political Jargon, Hotels.com emails, a live-Twitter Republican debate event, an appearance at a running event in Long Beach, CA and even a stint on live television on Fox Business News Mornings with Maria; with more to come. 

The Captain Obvious Race for President effort was supported through network and cable television, online video, paid social influencers and social, organic social and Public Relations. 

Captain Obvious’ Presidential run and his state videos have thus far received 357 media placements driving over 432.7 million earned media impressions, including national and local press. The campaign ignited a 900% increase in social mentions of Captain Obvious, many of these from people pledging their vote to him. As well as over 128 million views of his GIF content.