For the launch of the new Dublin hotel, citizenM needed a campaign that would appeal to a city that, put frankly, did not want us to be there. The opening had been plagued by upset from the wider community that were concerned that the hotel would change the local landscape. citizenM needed a launch that would prove that we were there to add to the city, no take away from it.

The goal wasn’t just to announce a new location, but to establish citizenM’s creative voice in a way that felt unique and culturally relevant while staying true to the brand’s global identity.

Pillowman: the hero of sleep

  • As art director, I co-developed the campaign concept and established the visual direction that underpinned all touchpoints. With the wider citizenM brand studio marketing team, I oversaw the project from early creative territories through to final rollout, partnering closely with production teams and stakeholders. I was actively involved on set, directing key visual decisions to maintain consistency and elevate the final output.

  • Pillowman came together thanks to the work and dedication of a small team:

    • Verve Live (brand activaition and content production)

    • Bitemark (content production)

    • Joe Crowther (creative direction)

    • Chelsea Hughes-Monasterio (brand and campaign management)

  • 3 months

We identified that modern travellers respond to unexpected personalities and memorable visuals that feel like they could be shared, talked about, and photographed. Enter Pillowman: the living embodiment of a citizenM beds, created to be the hero of sleep for weary travellers.

Pillowman was the next evolution of the citizenM's use of citizens. Citzens that played a constant visual role throughout the history of the brand - from early OOH to in hotel items. Pillowman addressed two problems. Firstly, the use of citizens had always been contextual and limited in use. Secondly, the graphic citizens had been focused on personas or functions of the hotel rather than the core brand proposition and its product.

Pillowman served as the living embodiment of the citizenM experience: bold, disruptive and deeply concerned witht the quality of sleep our guests were getting.

creative platform

Pillowman tapped into the trend of using mascots to act as public figures. We wanted to evoke feelings of nostalgia and comfort by heroing Pillowman as a Mr Blobby figure but with a disruptive twist that felt more citizenM and less chaotic and destructive.

My art direction for Pillowman took a lo-fi approach, playing with colour, composition and perspective to create an elevated early-2000s aesthetic. We wanted any video content to have a distinct 'guerilla' aesthetic, very raw and high energy with a lo-fi approach, playing with colour, composition and perspective to create an elevated early-2000s aesthetic.

The photography also captured the vibe with an obvious analogue grain and high contrast lighting with the aim of feeling more candid and 'in the moment'.

Pillowman’s oversized look was created entirely from the materials that define citizenM sleep. His suit was handmade from two full duvets, four pillowcases and two pillows. The result was a character that looked both surreal and inviting: soft, stylish and instantly recognisable as the living embodiment of our beds.

The resulting campaign consisted of a four part episodic series released on instagram and Tik Tok as well as a suite of photography for use across digital touchpoints and PR campaigns.

The opening campaign also consisted of a sleepover opening party and pillow fight brand activation that took place in and around the city of Dublin. All of which Pillowman was present for, entertaining at the party and serving as a walking photo opportunity for guests as well as serving as referee for the travelling pillow fight.

The success of the campaign extended far beyond the resulting hotel bookings and revenue. It positioned citizenM as a hotel brand that cares deeply about the cities it was in.

concept and art direction