- Tom Bodett is suing Motel 6. The long-time spokesperson says the chain is using his voice and name without permission. After 39 years of working together, Motel 6 allegedly failed to make an annual payment and has not rectified the situation, Bodett says.
For 39 years, Tom Bodett encouraged people to stay at Motel 6 with his signature line “We’ll leave the light on for you.” Now he’s suing the hotel chain.
Bodett has filed suit in a Manhattan federal court, accusing the company of using his name and voice without his permission. While the two have been inseparable in many people’s minds, due to the length of the partnership, Bodett says he cut ties with the company in January, after its new owner missed a $1.2 million annual payment.
“Motel 6’s new owners made a number of excuses for their failure to make the required payment,” the suit reads. “First, they blamed the delay on the ownership transition and the need to work ‘through bank transfers.’ Then, they claimed with no proof whatsoever that Plaintiffs had not performed their obligations under the Agreements, and threatened to sue Plaintiffs for non-performance if Mr. Bodett would not agree to simply let Motel 6’s breach lie.”
Motel 6, he says, has continued to use his name and voice on its reservation line, however. Bodett also says he coined the “We’ll leave the light on for you” tagline.
Bodett, in the court filing, said he spent five months trying to find a way for the partnership to end amicably and without “undue negative publicity,” but says the company has “only responded with misrepresentations, obfuscations, and delay tactics.” He’s seeking $1.2 million and additional damages.
Bodett, who has also voiced animated series on Saturday Night Live as well as several Ken Burns documentaries, has been the voice of Motel 6 since 1986. The ad campaign, a wry, bare-bones, folksy, low-pressure series of commercials, has won numerous awards and has been inducted into the Clio Advertising Hall of Fame. It was so popular at one point that radio listeners would call the stations and request replays of the ads.
“We appreciate Mr. Bodett’s contributions over the past years. We are reviewing the claims,” G6 Hospitality, Motel 6’s immediate parent, told Fortune. “These demands are partly from tenure of previous owners of G6 Hospitality. However, given G6 Hospitality’s long association with him, we are trying to engage with both Mr Bodett and the sellers of the asset. We hope to resolve this matter respectfully and amicably even if needed to support from our balance sheet. We are surprised that he has chosen to litigate despite that we sought engagements and attention for potential resolution. Irrespective, we will be continuing our dialogue with them to find a viable solution. Of course, we will continue to advertise keeping the lights on for you in times to come.”