I stopped by the hostel my sister was staying at. It was a dingy place with prison-like bunk beds. There was a pub in the basement where the green felt of the pool table was stained grey and black from cigarette smoke and ash and the watery beer was served by the pitcher in opaque plastic cups.
Appealing to customers with the unappealing
This is the kind of environment that Hans Brinker hostel, the self-proclaimed “Worst Hostel in the World” prides itself for. Hans Brinker is a budget hostel that has nothing special or welcoming to offer, so they focused on what they had.
They appealed to their target market, partying young people, through clever advertisements glorifying the unsanitary and bare minimum conditions that they offered.
The worst hostel in the world
Hans Brinker began positioning its brand this way in the 90s when they were tired of hearing complaints about how poor the conditions of their hostel were. They had nothing special to offer. Nothing that could differentiate them from competing budget hostels in the area.
They decided that if the customers expected nothing from them, they wouldn’t complain when they got nothing special from their stay.
From this idea, Hans Brinker Hostel created a series of hilarious advertisements that both mocked traditional hotel advertising and set realistic expectations for their young audience who could relate to the humor and irony of the ads.
Hans Brinkers most memorable advertisements
The very bold and eye-catching image above was put on small flags and placed in piles of dog poop all around the city of Amsterdam. This guerilla advertising tactic executed by Hans Brinkers employees brought media attention from around the world.
NOW even more clever ads!
Through these campaigns, Hans Brinkers played off of old school advertising showing urgency. Of course instead of offering outstanding service or pristine rooms they offer the minimum of what is expected or even the most undesirable things associated with hostels.
The good ole before and after
Through many different variations of this advertisement, Hans Brinkers shows their target market, young party-going people, when they check into the hostel and when they check out. This ad shows they want their customers to party and have a good time and quality service and comfort are not to be expected.
There’s no way this could work, right?
The very unorthodox methods of Hans Brinker Hostel yielded impressive results. Their bookings spiked with the release of advertisements that pointed out what was once viewed as their greatest flaws as a hostel.
This worked because Hans Brinkers established a consistent brand image with an offer that appealed to their target market. Young students traveling to Amsterdam to party and stay out all night are not looking for a luxury room to relax in. They are looking for the cheapest option that will give them a place to go back to after last call.
The use of humor and irony in the advertisements also made them relatable for young people who often push back against traditional advertising.
Hans Brinkers’ brand image didn’t set expectations beyond what they could offer. For this reason, they are still one of the most popular hostels in Amsterdam.
About the author
Colin Young is a copywriter at Copper Sun Creative. He specializes in writing advertising and branding content. When he is not blogging or working to complete his bachelor’s degree in Marketing he enjoys doing anything outdoors.