• by Tanya Gazdik , April 13, 2012

Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is launching a multimedia ad campaign starring golfer Rickie Fowler.

The upscale hotel brand has signed Fowler for the 2012 golf season and will execute a multichannel campaign designed to elevate the hotel's brand.

The hotel chain has sponsored the tournament since 2007, said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Americas brand management, IHG. “Golf courses have a storied history as informal meeting places, which aligns well with Crowne Plaza's focus on providing a better meetings experience for our guests,” LaBarre tells Marketing Daily. “Meetings are a big part of our guests' lives, whether that takes place in one of our hotels or on a golf course, so it's a natural fit.”

Choosing to align with Fowler was an easy decision.

“Rickie brings a really fun and colorful energy to the game of golf, and he certainly knows how to catch your eye with his unique sense of style,” LaBarre said. “He's widely regarded as one of the new faces of golf and has the distinctive star power that you want in a spokesperson.”

Fowler is one of the most recognizable and stylish golfers on the PGA tour, according to the hotel chain. He will appear in TV, print and online ads showcasing his unique personality.

The broadcast spot titled "It's Good to be Rickie," launches April 14 and focuses on the comfortable accommodations, amenities and the value offered by the hotel.

The ad will break on The Golf Channel and CBS on April 14 during a PGA Tour broadcast. The lighthearted spot reveals Fowler's stay at a Crowne Plaza hotel prior to tournament play -- waking from a great night's sleep, enjoying a workout and dining on a breakfast made for champions.

The ad also stars CBS golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch, a well-known voice in the golf world, who follows Fowler during his morning routine, providing play-by-play color commentary as if at a live broadcast from a golf tournament. After experiencing an up-close look at Fowler's stay at a Crowne Plaza hotel, Baker-Finch announces, "It's Good to be Rickie."

The print, digital and broadcast ads featuring Fowler will run April 14 through July 15 in support of the brand's PGA Tour's title sponsorship of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The ads will also highlight the brand's "Travel Bonus" promotion which offers guests $50 back when they stay two consecutive weeknights - showcasing that it's good to be Rickie -- and anyone else who stays at Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

IHG is the Official Hotel and Resort Partner of the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. The 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial will be held May 21-27 in Fort Worth, Texas, and Rickie Fowler has committed to playing. The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is the longest running PGA Tour still being held at the original site.