Paris Hilton: Celebrity Gossip Fodder, Prisoner, or Marketing Guru?
Ah, Paris Hilton. Omnipresent, overexposed and understated. Is there something in her, some part of her, that all of America isn’t already familiar with?
She is the quintessential celebrity of the 21st century, famous for being famous. She is not known for being a singer, actress, model, designer, author, or businesswoman, although she is all of those things. She is known only for being… well, Paris Hilton. And today, that brand is among the most recognized in the world and is worth millions.
So how did she become famous enough to exploit her constant media attention? After all, there are plenty of rich and vaguely attractive people in America, and most of them aren’t on the front page of the tabloids every week.
Was (A) her modeling career, which she started professionally at age 19 (she signed with Donald Trump’s company, of course). Gold (B), her frequent appearances at fancy events and trendy clubs. Perhaps (C), her cameo in the movie Zoolander?
If you said, (D), none of the above, you would be correct. Paris got her 15 minutes of fame because she was filmed having sex, a lot – And here on YouTube, the viral marketing generation, 15 minutes can last a lifetime (of free advertising).
1 Night in Paris, the sexual exploits of Ms. Hilton, burst onto the Internet in 2003, suspiciously close to the debut of the Parisian reality series The Simple Life. Between the sex tape and the TV show, Paris mania was on, as it secured her place in the pantheon of celebrities who did really dumb things, got caught, and benefited greatly from exposure. Overnight, her haughty, dumb-blonde personality, and wealth made her the paparazzi’s dream, every man’s fantasy, and the object of ridicule, ridicule, and conversation at water coolers around the world. world. No amount of money could have bought more far-reaching word-of-mouth advertising.
He is! The television show The Simple Life was proof positive that the country’s thirst for all things Paris was insatiable. The series was at first oddly funny and then excruciatingly unwatchable. Fortunately, it was canceled in 2007, after four years.
Paris has appeared in a few films such as House of Wax, where the audience cheered her untimely death. She released an album, co-wrote a book in 2004, worked as a jewelry designer, has her own perfume line, has her own chain of nightclubs AND makes millions on her own every year.
In 2007, after flouting the California legal system for years (most of which were recorded), Paris was arrested for driving on a suspended license stemming from a previous DUI incident.
Suddenly America was giddy, clamoring for news of Paris Hilton’s jailhouse, taking a guilty pleasure from the details of her ordeal and the less-than-stellar treatment. Media coverage was comically exaggerated. Paris’s attempts to elicit sympathy and empathy through her leaked diary entries were chronicled in detail by the gossip-hungry hounds. We all laughed and watched intently.
And, while everyone was laughing, this model, actress, and porn star was cultivating the ridiculously successful and marketable brand that is Paris Hilton. She could have spent her life doing absolutely nothing, not just pretending. Instead, she has captured the world’s attention and imagination. Would you buy Paris Hilton sparkling water? Me neither, but undoubtedly millions would, adding to the $6 million a year he currently earns (according to Forbes magazine).
While we attribute very little of the planning of these brilliant marketing mini-events to Paris, she has played her role to perfection. Carefully orchestrated chaos is much more difficult to pull off than people think. Just compare Paris Hilton, the brand, to the Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears brands. Misguided puppeteers pulling those strings.
How can you do your part? How can you contribute to the overall marketing plan that keeps your lifestyle alive and fuels your next adventure or stunt and fuels the brand? Just mention her, joke about her or ridicule her like millions of other Paris Hilton fans or haters do every day. We all need distractions and diversions in our dull and monotonous lives. We all need something, someone to turn to when we’re feeling really bad about ourselves, so we can feel, well…better. Thank God, we will always have Paris.
