Spelling pedants may tut at Travelodge’s latest slogan – the unsatisfying compound word “Travelodgical” – but its new £25m ad campaign initially seems rather jolly. A parade of guests checking in to the budget hotel chain discover an unexpected roommate: a puppet version of themselves, dressed in tiny replica clothes. It’s like that bit in the Muppets movie reboot where Jason Segel meets a Muppet version of himself, then sings a song. There’s a song here, too, and while it’s no Let It Go, it’s still a passable Broadway-style chorus number, the lyrics explaining that this fuzzy critter is a manifestation of your psyche, representing “that shrewd part of you / That loves finding value”.
It looks like having a Travelodgical Mini-Me to keep you company in an anonymous hotel room might actually be fun, at first. But what if it starts to channel some of the more intense facets of your psyche, those volatile feelings you bury deep down? Self-loathing. Sexual jealousy. Murderous thoughts. Sure, the rooms are more comfortable than ever before thanks to a recent £100m refurbishment but this grinning, singing homunculus is starting to make things feel just a little bit crowded.
Even with Travelodge’s new Dreamer range of king-size beds, it’s difficult to drop off alongside a tiny fabric Golem inexplicably animated by your unconscious self. You’ve gotta get rid of it. You’re on the ninth floor: does that window open? Hang on, you’ve been kept awake by a creepily soft rasp as it echoes your breathing. And if something breathes… you can drown it. Thank goodness all Travelodge rooms are en-suite.
