The Ritz-Carlton: The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

Luxury and premium brand agency Team One has created an integrated campaign that uses illustrations of local attractions to relaunch The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland, and to demonstrate the hotel’s longstanding relationship with the city. The work will run in out of home, digital and social media.

Team One hired UK artist Michael Arnold to create custom illustrations for these and other marketing materials that promote the recently renovated hotel’s Oct. 27 re-opening. The executions feature Cleveland’s Progressive Field (baseball), Quicken Loans Arena (basketball), Jack Casino and Playhouse Square along with The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland’s Core Fitness Club and TURN Bar + Kitchen. Some versions of the ads are animated.

Each execution presents a local landmark and helps the viewer visualize its proximity to the hotel with a cheeky caption, such as “Only 88 stages away from total drama,” per the theater. It tags with “Our city shines here,” while other executions in the civic pride-minded campaign adjust the line slightly. (“Our city dunks here,” “Our city finds inspiration here,” etc.)

The client was so smitten with the work that additional illustrations and assets were commissioned. A set of notecards were created for guests and placed in a custom box graced with The Ritz-Carlton logo. Cards featuring lines from the campaign creative and additional illustrations were added for West Side Market, The Museum of Art and the hotel itself. The back of each card was left blank for writing purposes except for a small logo and “Proud to be a Clevelander” line. The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland opened its doors in 1990.

Arnold also designed an illustrated map of downtown Cleveland featuring well-known landmarks and epicenters within the city using custom icons, which the hotel will hand out to guests. The map will also be created in a digital version and will be featured on the hotel’s website.