You’ve heard of a presidential suite, but what about a first lady suite? Showtime and Marriott Bonvoy brand Ritz-Carlton made this concept a reality to promote the premium cable channel’s new show of the same name.
The First Lady, which premiered April 17, is an anthology drama series that follows the lives of Michelle Obama (Viola Davis), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson). It’s described as "a reframing of American leadership" through the lens of some of the women that have been at the heart of the White House.
To amplify the show’s release, Showtime, Ritz-Carlton, and Industria Creative worked to reimagine the iconic concept of presidential suites by transforming four suites at four different Ritz properties into “The First Lady Suites,” with set pieces from the show’s production.
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles played host to a Betty Ford-inspired suite. The choice of a Southern California property paid homage to Ford's desire to retire in Palm Springs.Photo: John Jefferson IV, Showtime
“The concept of presidential suites is about 100 years old,” said Sara Demenkoff, vice president of brand and program marketing at Showtime. “Knowing that The First Lady was really going to be this reframing of how we think about presidents and their wives and their role in the East Wing, we thought the reframing of the concept of presidential suites into first lady suites was a really fun, creative idea.”
As Showtime has had a partnership with Marriott for more than 10 years—guests in their hotels can sample Showtime content on their in-room TVs—working with The Ritz-Carlton for this campaign was a no-brainer.
The Eleanor Roosevelt-inspired suite could be found at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park. Each suite was filled with set pieces and props from the production of The First Lady.Photo: Zach Hetrick, Showtime
During five days of tours, stays, and events, the four suites were open to the press, influencers, hotel guests, and Marriott Bonvoy auction winners who bid on a two-night stay. The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park hosted the FDR-era suite dedicated to Eleanor Roosevelt; Michelle Obama’s suite could be found at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago; the Ford-era suite for Betty Ford was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles; and The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. hosted a suite that combined all three eras portrayed on the show.
Each suite was decorated with actual set pieces and props from the production of The First Lady, which was made possible by the show’s producer, Lionsgate Television.
Michelle Obama's suite, at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago, included interpretations of artwork that hung in the Obamas' home or during their time in the East Wing.Photo: Jaclyn Simpson Photography, Showtime
“We had to figure out what we wanted in each room and what we had access to,” Demenkoff said. “Our Lionsgate partners and the showrunner and director left no stone unturned; they were so specific and detail oriented, and we benefited from that, as far as seeking out merchandise and props with such deep authenticity.”
Items were shipped from storage spaces in Atlanta to the various hotels.
“It was definitely a logistics project, but with enough pre-planning and having access to the suites to be able to measure and figure out where we could put these moments along the tour within the suites, it was able to all come about,” Demenkoff said.
Included in the suites were family photographs used for the series, created with the actors who portrayed the real-life families.Photo: Jaclyn Simpson Photography, Showtime
And it really is “moments” that fill out each of the suites. Demenkoff said that her team wanted to bring guests on a journey by following some of the pivotal scenes from the show. Those who visited the suite could find family photographs (made for the show with the actors), handwritten notes between husband and wife, recreated first lady portraits commissioned for the show, costumes worn by the actors, and other props that really put the suites into their respective eras. The show even created a new issue of Michelle Obama’s bestselling book, Becoming, with Viola Davis on the cover.
“We tried to ensure that we had things that people could touch and feel,” Demenkoff said, adding: “Something that's so interesting is that even though we cover 80 to 100 years of history, [you can see] how similar the experiences are for these first ladies: family is a reoccurring theme, as well as reluctancy to have this position and sometimes putting their own feelings on a shelf to shine a light on their presidential husbands.”
The suite takeovers also played host to evening events with The Female Quotient, which put on fireside chats to discuss some of the themes portrayed on the show.Photo: Zach Hetrick, Showtime
Showtime and The Ritz-Carlton also hosted fireside chats within the rooms in partnership with The Female Quotient, an organization that promotes equality in the workplace, to discuss some of the themes presented on the show.
And by the end of the campaign, the public could view the suites during docent-guided tours while enjoying complimentary refreshments that represented some of these first ladies’ favorite drinks.
“The response was incredible,” Demenkoff said. “We were oversold in D.C. We had to turn people away in New York. It was incredible just to see the response. In LA, we had a packed consumer experience with hotel guests coming through, [since the property] is attached to L.A. LIVE. It was such great real estate to be able to promote and have people come through.”
Of the public's response, Showtime’s senior vice president of distributor marketing Laura Palmer added: “The Marriott folks were thrilled and so happy it came out the way it did. They’re already asking, 'What’s next?' That is definitely a sign of a great program.”
See more photos below from the activation.
Recreated letters, notes, and speeches made for the show's production were scattered throughout each of the suites.Photo: Zach Hetrick, Showtime
The show even created a reissue of Michelle Obama's bestselling book, Becoming, with Viola Davis (who played Obama) on the cover. It was on display in both the Chicago suite and the Washington, D.C. suite.Photo: Zach Hetrick, Showtime
By the end of the campaign's five days, the public in each of the cities was invited to view the suites. They received a docent-guided tour and a complimentary refreshment that reflected some of the first ladies' favorite drinks.Credit: Zach Hetrick, Showtime
On a table in Betty Ford's suite was a model building of the Betty Ford Center.Photo: John Jefferson IV, Showtime
