Ahead of the premiere of the new Showtime anthology drama series The First Lady, The Ritz-Carlton and Showtime embarked on a unique collaboration.
Inspired by the series’ focus on the extraordinary lives of the women of the East Wing, The Ritz-Carlton and Showtime transformed select Presidential Suites at Ritz-Carlton hotels into First Lady Suites, building excitement for both the show and the experience of The Ritz-Carlton.
Overall Objectives:
Leverage our partnership with SHOWTIME by sharing videos that give a glimpse into the immersive experience at four of our suites through impactful video
Utilize Influencers to amplify the suite experiences at different locations around the globe
Inside the Suites
More than a simple rebadging, The First Lady Suites were crafted to transport guests into the life and times of Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama — portrayed by Gillian Anderson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Viola Davis in the series.
Using actual props, costumes, and set pieces from the show, The Ritz-Carlton and Showtime brought to life the FDR era at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, the Ford era at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, the Obama era at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago, and elements of all three at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C., further enhanced by tours, special stays, and culinary presentations.
By sharing these one-of-a-kind spaces through social and digital, The Ritz-Carlton and Showtime sought to bring the unforgettable moments from The First Lady and The Ritz-Carlton to their luxury-focused audience.
At the hotels, docent-led tours shared the suites with nearly one thousand guests, giving them an up-close look at Ritz-Carlton luxury and details from the series. Overnight stays in the suites offered through Marriott Bonvoy Moments brought in over 1.5 million points across all auctions.
Through its brand social channels, The Ritz-Carlton introduced the collaboration and shared videos of each of the suites through an organic and paid campaign spanning Instagram, Instagram Stories, Facebook and Twitter. These posts also drove traffic to The Journey, The Ritz-Carlton’s digital hub, for more in-depth coverage of the collaboration.
Showtime selected influencers to share their perspective on in-suite experiences, including Carly Riordan (@carly) and Sofiyat Ibrahim (@the_odditty) and Meena Harris (@meena), and shared the partnership across their own social channels.
In total, the First Lady Suites campaign achieved a reach of over 8.6 million, successfully achieving awareness for both brands through an innovative partnership.
