Hostelworld — you know, the largest online hostel booking platform in the world — have somehow ($) bagged music legend Mariah Carey for their latest campaign. “Wouldn’t it be totally iconic,” daydreamed the brand’s most fabulous marketing exec in a brainstorming meeting late last year, probably, “if we had Mariah Carey staying in one of our hostels.” They likely never thought it would happen because, it is, for all intents and purposes, a ludicrous idea. Dreams do come true though and the resulting ad is an unexpected treat.
The concept: Mariah pulls up to what she naturally assumes is a luxury hotel in Barcelona with her entourage. Turns out, oops, someone on her team accidentally booked her into a hostel instead. The hostel staff freak out but assure her that it’s all cool, they have private rooms, she should Stay The Night, etc. She does, and the whole thing becomes The Emancipation Of Mimi from the constraints of her fancy expensive life as she enjoys the refreshingly real joys of weird backpackers and teeth brushing in the lift.
The last time Hostelworld splashed out the big bucks was back in 2016 with In Da Hostel with 50 Cent! — an actually quite amusing homage to MTV cribs. Now, get out of here!