Sandals Resorts to Launch Ad Blitz and Brand Overhaul: 'Made of Caribbean'

Sandals Resorts International is launching its most ambitious brand campaign to date, investing millions to reposition the luxury all-inclusive chain as the authentic voice of Caribbean hospitality.

The "Made of Caribbean" campaign, developed by newly appointed agency Leo Burnett, will debut on December 26.

The "multi-million-dollar" campaign will run across television, digital, print, and out-of-home advertising, including prominent placements in New York's Times Square and during major events like the Super Bowl and Golden Globes.

Non-traditional efforts will include having Sandals-branded ride share cars "come together in swarms at key moments" in New York City and Chicago.

The initiative represents Sandals' first major brand overhaul since the passing of its founder Gordon "Butch" Stewart in January 2021. The company is now led by his son Adam Stewart, who serves as executive chairman after previously holding CEO and deputy chairman roles.

"This is probably the biggest decision I've made since becoming chairman," Adam Stewart said in an interview with Skift. "Nothing was broken. There were just things we felt we were leaving on the table and weren't telling a deep enough story."

"We've probably spent about $30 million to rebrand the company for all the relevant research, marketing, work on ads and a visual identity, so far," Stewart said.

Two launch ads include one for Sandals, “Three Things,” which puts the Caribbean front and center and suggests its all-inclusive resorts are about more than weddings and buffets, and one for the Beaches brand, "Memories," which focuses on family vacations.

Ad Blitz

Privately-held Sandals, which operates luxury all-inclusive resorts across multiple Caribbean islands, aims to shed lingering misconceptions about all-inclusive properties.

The campaign arrives as major hotel chains like Hyatt, Accor, and Marriott increasingly expand their all-inclusive offerings. Sandals helped to pioneer the modern version of all-inclusives in the 1980s. Stewart positions this industry consolidation as an opportunity for Sandals to differentiate itself through its singular focus on and connection to the Caribbean region.

The "Made in Caribbean" theme highlights Sandals' regional roots. Stewart noted that 97% of Sandals' 20,000 employees are Caribbean nationals.

"The authenticity can really only come at that level," Stewart said, explaining how the campaign will showcase not just the resorts but the broader Caribbean ecosystem, including "the mountains and the rivers and the street food, the craft vendors and our taxi drivers and our farmers and fishermen."

The rebranding effort follows 18 months of research involving thousands of current and potential customers. While Sandals maintains strong brand awareness with prompted recognition above 81%, Stewart said customer feedback revealed opportunities to better communicate the brand's comprehensive offerings beyond its reputation for honeymoons and destination weddings.

"We are the Caribbean," Stewart said. "If you want to come to the Caribbean, which is in our backyard in the Americas, there is no better brand that knows the Caribbean more deeply and more truly and authentically than our company."

Expansion Plans

The company is also plotting significant expansion, with Stewart announcing plans to create over 5,000 new positions and 300 new managerial roles in the next three years. Recent land acquisitions could enable Sandals to "more than double" its current portfolio, though some purchases are being held for future development up to a decade out.

Stewart speaks in a brand manifesto film that launched Thursday, which isn't the ad itself, but gives a flavor of the branding.

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