Video: Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts to Unveil the Ultimate Meeting with Phil Mickelson

ATLANTA, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you look like Phil? Have you been hit by Phil's golf ball? Do you have advice for Phil's game? A few of Phil Mickelson's biggest fans answered 'yes' to these questions and will appear with their favorite PGA TOUR professional in the new Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts television advertising campaign. The new campaign titled, "A Meeting with Phil," is slated to debut April 17 and feature unscripted, humorous meetings between Phil Mickelson, golf commentator and journalist David Feherty and several golf enthusiasts.

    To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/crowneplaza/32624/.

Created by Fallon Minneapolis, the "A Meeting with Phil" campaign showcases Crowne Plaza as "The Place to Meet" with the special tenets of golf in a way that is fresh, contemporary and humorous. This year's TV ad campaign with Mickelson will support the brand's overall golf affinity marketing program and highlight the Crowne Plaza's sponsorship of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

"The new marketing campaign will continue to emphasize our brand positioning as 'The Place to Meet' and amplify our association with golf to build awareness among golf enthusiasts," said Gina LaBarre, vice president, brand management, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts. "We've elevated our overall golf affinity marketing strategy this year by making one of the greatest golfers in the game the centerpiece of our campaign. Bringing Phil together with his fans in an unscripted meeting setting brought a new dynamic to our campaign, and we are truly excited to share some of the hilarious conversations that came from the meetings in our new spots."

In a series of four, 30-second TV spots, Mickelson interacts with real golf fans who share a love for the game -- and the PGA TOUR professional himself -- in unscripted conversations. Meeting topics featured in the TV campaign include:

    -- Fans who have advice for Phil's game
    -- Spectators who have been hit by one of Phil's golf balls
    -- People who happen to look like Phil
    -- Admirers who consider themselves Phil's biggest fans

The "Meeting with Phil" ad campaign will also be supported with in-hotel promotional marketing program aptly named, 'Philosophy.' The 'Philosophy' program will include golf imagery of Phil Mickelson on in-hotel signage and collateral such as keycards and brochures. All will be designed to drive awareness of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial golf tournament.

"The campaign concept is what intrigued me and I'm really happy with the way it came to life," said Phil Mickelson. "I'm most excited about Crowne Plaza's long-term commitment to the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. I'm happy to lend my support through this business relationship because it's good

for the game and the community and I'm looking forward to playing there again in May."

The search for Phil's co-stars began January 3, 2008 with a series of invitations posted in major golf publications and distributed to Crowne Plaza hotel guests at all U.S. properties encouraging avid fans to visit ameetingwithphil.com. At the web site, consumers were invited to submit a story or video for a chance to participate with Phil Mickelson in a national TV ad campaign.

A nationwide search to find avid fans to meet and star with Phil was also conducted by a series of open casting calls in various U.S. cities. National golf commentator and journalist David Feherty, Phil Mickelson's parents Phil Sr. and Mary Mickelson, wife Amy Mickelson and Phil's in-laws helped with the search. The open casting calls were held in January 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City, Crowne Plaza San Diego and the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills.

This year's integrated marketing campaign is an extension of the brand's first national television advertising campaign which was launched in April 2007. The 2007 "The Place to Meet" campaign, featured national golf commentator/journalist David Feherty attempting to moderate an entirely unscripted conversation amongst TV personality and golf fanatic George Lopez, shock-rocker and avid golfer Alice Cooper, golf great Lee Trevino, LPGA star Natalie Gulbis, and outspoken golf scribe Dan Jenkins.

This year's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial will be held May 19-25 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas and Phil Mickelson will make his 13th PGA TOUR appearance at the tournament. The tournament is the longest running PGA TOUR tournament still being held at the original site. For more information about the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial golf tournament in May, visit www.crowneplaza.com/invitational.

Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts participates in Priority Club Rewards. With more than 37 million members, Priority Club(R) Rewards is the first, largest and fastest-growing guest loyalty program in the hotel industry. Winner of the 19th Annual Freddie Awards hotel loyalty "Program of the Year" and named "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the World" three years running by Global Traveler magazine, Priority Club Rewards offers more sought-after benefits and the greatest ease of use of any hotel loyalty program.

Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG's nearly 4,000 hotels worldwide.

Crowne Plaza was recently recognized by Lodging Hospitality magazine as one of the industry's top growing brands. As part of the IHG global portfolio, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has nearly 300 hotels in 52 countries, and are located in major urban centers, gateway cities and resort destinations. For reservations at Crowne Plaza properties, visit www.crowneplaza.com or call 1-800-2CROWNE.

Notes to Editors

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 4,000 hotels and more than 585,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. IHG owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel Indigo(R), and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club(R) Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.

The company pioneered the travel industry's first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The IHEI formed the foundations of the Tourism Partnership launched by the International Business Leaders Forum in 2004, of which IHG is still a member today. The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG's global corporate responsibility focus.

    Contact:
    Natasha Gullett
    Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
    770.604.5597
    natasha.gullett@ihg.com

    Letal Greenberg
    Weber Shandwick
    212.445.8108
    Lgreenberg@webershandwick.com