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Motel 6 has officially replaced The Richards Group with a new advertising company, inking a deal to work with Kansas City-based independent agency Barkley.
The Carrollton-based lodging company ended its relationship in October with The Richards Group over founder Stan Richards’ description of a new ad campaign idea as being “too Black.” Richards’ company had developed Motel 6′s iconic “We’ll leave the lights on for you” campaign.
In a statement, G6 Hospitality CEO Rob Palleschi described its relationship with Barkley as an opportunity for evolution. G6 Hospitality is Motel 6′s parent company.
“Motel 6 is an iconic brand with a 58-year history leading the economy lodging segment. A large part of that success has been our commitment to keeping the light on for our guests and being there when and where they need us – and that has been a considerable advantage for us in a year like 2020,” Palleschi said.
“Still, you can’t continue to lead a category in today’s environment without evolving, which is why we are excited to be partnering with Barkley to advance our strategic vision for the brand and shine a fresh, new light on a legacy brand.”
Motel 6′s Adam Cannon, who took on the role of vice president of brand management a year ago, will manage the relationship with Barkley, according to the company. Barkley will work on marketing initiatives for Motel 6 in 2021, including a “return to travel” campaign as the COVID-19 pandemic drags out.
Motel 6 severed its relationship with The Richards Group after widely reported accounts of the meeting where Richards made the racial remarks. At least a half-dozen other longtime Richards Group clients quickly followed suit, including Home Depot, Keurig Dr Pepper, grocery store chain H-E-B, pest control firm Orkin and auto parts retailer Advance Auto Parts.
Backlash from clients over Richards’ comments ultimately prompted the firm’s namesake founder to announce he was firing himself that same week. Richards also noted that the exodus of paying clients meant the company would have to get smaller.
Ad industry leaders in Dallas expressed concern that companies wouldn’t be able to absorb the creative professionals who could lose employment at Richards Group, a leading independent agency in the city for decades.
The Richards Group’s Andrew Harper and Kyle Kelley recently took new positions at PMG’s Dallas office, the agency announced last week. In addition to Dallas, PMG has offices in Fort Worth, Austin, New York and London.
December 01, 2020 at 01:55AM
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/local-companies/2020/11/30/motel-6-signs-with-new-ad-agency-to-shine-a-fresh-new-light-on-brand-after-richards-group-fallout/
Motel 6 signs with new ad agency to ‘shine a fresh, new light’ on brand after Richards Group fallout - The Dallas Morning News
https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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