WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. | Starting today there's a new star taking center stage at Sheraton. The hotel giant and its parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT - News), launched a $12 million print and television advertising campaign designed to spotlight the brand's new signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed. Created by Deutsch Inc., the campaign features a rendition of the classic lullaby "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and brings attention to Sheraton's newest star – the plush, nine layer custom-designed Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed.

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

The campaign includes lighthearted television spots that were directed by Pucho, the highly acclaimed South American director, and feature guests of all ages leaping and diving into Sheraton's new, luxurious confection of comfort to the classic tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Sung by accomplished musician Danya Kurtz, the re-mixed song includes strands of jazz, blues and folk to deeply connect and add an emotional richness to the commercial. The second verse of the famous lullaby that is used in the new TV spots couldn't be more appropriate as it specifically relates to traveling away from home.

"Sheraton is a renowned brand with classic appeal, and it made sense to marry such a strong brand with an equally strong piece of music that resonates so well with all audiences and has such a powerful, emotional tie," said Steven Hankin, Chief Marketing Officer and President of S.T.A.R.S. for Starwood. "During the past several years we have spent billions on upgrading Sheraton's design, service and product and we feel strongly that we have to continue to capture people's attention and give them a reason to try us again."

As part of an aggressive media plan, Sheraton's new campaign makes its debut in heavy network cable programming on CNN, A&E, ESPN, TLC, The Food Network as well as local presence on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. Print ads begin running tomorrow nationally in USA Today, The New York Times and in Canada's Globe & Mail.

"We wanted to create excitement and energy around Sheraton's commitment to giving their guests a great night's sleep. We felt it was important to visually capture that wonderful feeling of falling into a Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed at the end of the day, and the music choice of 'Twinkle, twinkle' underscores that almost childlike feeling of being wrapped in the utmost of comfort before you drift off," added Kathy Delaney, Managing Partner & Executive Creative Director of Deutsch Inc.

Sheraton Crest - A True Classic

In both the print and broadcast ads, the new campaign prominently features the Sheraton "S" crest, which has an unaided recall of 93% among travelers according to recent research, almost 40 points more than Sheraton's competitors. Sheraton's new ad campaign scored extremely well during testing, with 90% of participants liking it and 84% rating it excellent or very good – scoring statistically much higher than normal. And, 92% walked away from watching the commercial knowing Sheraton has a great bed.

"Since we first introduced the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed last year guest satisfaction scores are on the rise and we have been inundated with requests from guests who want to purchase the bed," says Norman MacLeod, Executive Vice President for Sheraton. "Our recent design enhancements and product investments are paying off and we have struck a chord with our travelers."

Want to Have a Little Fun in Bed?

In celebration of Sheraton's new campaign, beginning today visitors to www.sheraton.com can register for the chance to win a luxurious trip for two to New York City by playing the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed game. Inspired by the beloved classic arcade game, Space Invaders, players can use their skills to help a weary traveler battle distraction and get a restful night's sleep. Players will compete for a luxurious trip for two to New York City including airfare, accommodations at the newly renovated Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers. Players have until June 3rd to register and play, and a winner will be chosen by random at the end of June.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 750 properties in more than 80 countries and 110,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwood.com.

Deutsch Inc. is a full-service integrated marketing and communications company. Part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG), Deutsch works with blue-chip clients including Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Revlon, Mitsubishi Motors of North America, Coors, Snapple, Novartis, Bank of America and Monster. Deutsch offers clients an array of services including advertising, direct marketing (directDeutsch), Interactive (iDeutsch), media planning and buying (deutschMedia), design (designDeutsch) and public relations, promotions, and events (Deutsch PR Promo Plus). Deutsch has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Toronto.

Nadeen Ayala
203-351-2542
Starwood

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