Client Name: The Plaza Hotel (Private Residences)

Industry: Luxury/Real Estate

Execution: Advertising; Coffee table book (editing and introduction); Speechwriting

Challenge or Business Need: In 2005, Elad Properties planned to eliminate most of the Hotel part of The Plaza Hotel, with luxury condominiums and retail set to replace The Grand Ballroom as well as hundreds of guest rooms. The plan was scaled back after some opposition, including from workers’ unions and The Landmarks Preservation commission, but the initial bad press needed to be fully forgotten. At the same time, under earlier owners, some of the hotel’s glory had been allowed to fade. Finally, The Plaza’s Residences were entering a marketplace of other high-end luxury homes, many of which boasted the latest technology and amenities.

Strategy: Fully embrace and elaborate on The Plaza’s singular history as a backdrop for a century of celebrated moments and people. Reinforce the Plaza’s position as the ultimate luxurious destination in New York City.

Execution: Instead of merely referencing The Plaza’s iconic past, we set out to document and preserve it, collecting recollections from famous Plaza guests and residents, alongside rare archival photographs, and publishing them in a stunning coffee table book/ homage, “The Plaza Unveiled.” To add further luster and credibility to the book, we secured an introduction from Michael Gross, legendary for his writings about the heights of Manhattan’s luxury real estate market.

For the advertising campaign, ads in The Economist and other financial outlets positioned The Plaza as something aspirational and ethereal, the ultimate dream, a dream you can “wake up to.”