Hotels.com has launched a series of new ads, featuring the Temporary Captain Obvious.

One of the spots, titled “The Temporary Captain’s Rap”, promoting the travel site’s Rewards Program, that enables members to get instant savings and earn free nights for later, shows the Temporary Captain rapping and busting some dance moves. “Being a Temporary Captain Obvious has many rewards. Like this sweet ride.” – the Captain says, referring to a ride with a luggage cart. “Even rewardier is the Hotels.com Rewards Program. With it, you get instant savings now and earn free nights to use later.” – he adds, continuing his speech: “It’s so rewardy it inspired me to lay down this sick beat.” At this point, he starts rapping and showing off his “Rewards Program dance”: “I’m the Temporary Captain, I’ve got rhythms in my pants. When I bust my special moves, it’s my Rewards Program dance. Dance, rewards, my pants, hotels”.

The temporary replacement for Captain Obvious (while he goes on holiday) has been selected following a contest organized by Hotels.com and agency J. Walter Thompson Canada, called “Temp Captain Contest”, in which entrants filmed a 30-second audition tape explaining why they should be the next Captain. This part of the travel site campaign was more focused on general brand building, but the content created with the winners is focused on the Rewards Program, considered “a differentiator in the travel category”. Besides starring in new Hotels.com commercial, which have been filmed in Toronto, the winners of the Temp Captain Contest have also received a $1000 Hotels.com gift card.