• by Larissa Faw , April 21, 2014

With hotel-branded apps becoming more mainstream, JW Marriott and full-service agency Team One are launching CUR8, an experience-oriented app that allows guests to share their favorite travel moments through digital videos on their social media networks.

"The goal was to make JW Marriott's entrance into the tech space with a product that allows guests to capture memories from their stay," says Nick Teare, group account director, Team One, part of Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi. "Social media is very important to JW Marriott guests and travelers as a whole, so creating this app that offers an innovative and convenient way for people to share their travel experiences."

CUR8 was created and designed by Team One -- one of the first IP projects out of the agency -- and allows guests to string together a combination of their own videos and photos with JW Marriott property images to create one cohesive story from their stay. App users then have the option to personalize their videos through music and added text. The videos can be shared via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube using hashtag #CUR8byJWM.

CUR8 is free of charge and is available for download through iTunes. 

The concept grew out of an insight into the JW Marriott consumer base: affluent business travelers who share the mindset of a growing consumer group that want an expertly edited luxury experience.

"In a category that’s often characterized by excess, JW Marriott wanted to reposition itself and focus on the small details that matter most to their customer," says Teare. "The visual approach, which has since been extended to a new advertising campaign that launched in 2013, brings to life the brand philosophy that true luxury is having the space, both physical and mental, to experience the exceptional, even in small, simple details." 

Indeed, this app is aimed at the affluent. The app is not for all Marriott hotel brands, but rather specifically for the 64-property JW Marriott, a stand-alone luxury brand within Marriott International. New JW Marriott hotels will adopt the service as the chain continues to expand, with 30 additional properties expected to open by 2016. 

CUR8 will be promoted via on-site materials in the 64 properties, as well as via social media and PR. 
This initiative is just the latest creative to debut under their partnership that began in summer 2010, when Team One created a new visual identity for the brand's communication.

More recently, Team One introduced "The Accomplished" campaign for JW Marriott that targeted affluent travelers who want a luxury experience, but don't necessarily need to be waited on hand and foot. 

This year, the entire Marriott Hotels brand, all 500 properties worldwide, will offer both mobile check-in and checkout. This will be the first brand-wide deployment of this scale.