Accor Bets on Kylian Mbappé in Loyalty Ad to Cut Out Middlemen

Accor is running ads for its loyalty program that star footballer Kylian Mbappé. The goal is to drive more direct bookings. The backstory is that online travel agencies are incredibly convenient for consumers and incredibly expensive for hotel companies like Accor.

Accor is banking on sports superstar Kylian Mbappé, to help solve an expensive problem: too many guests booking through online travel agencies instead of directly.

The Paris-based hotel group debuted on June 12 a marketing campaign starring the Real Madrid forward to promote its ALL loyalty program, which now counts more than 100 million members.

But the real goal isn't building brand awareness. Instead, it's about getting customers to bypass online travel agencies, which typically charge commissions of 15% to 25%.

While Mbappé's ads never explicitly mention companies like Expedia or Booking.com, the film highlights the hotel group's loyalty program. Accor is using data to identify and retarget online travel agency users with ads like the one with Mbappé to encourage more direct bookings.

"For customers that have used alternative mean