Luxury Hotel Chain’s Staff Become the VIPs in Lush New Ads

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what life must be like for the staff at luxury resorts while watching HBO’s The White Lotus, this campaign from Peninsula Hotels beautifully gives us a glimpse—sans the messy plot twists. 

For its new global campaign, “Peninsula Perspectives,” the luxury hospitality brand goes against the grain, eschewing the traditional formula of showing guests enjoying ample amenities in favor of spotlighting the real-life team members who create the luxury experiences their discerning clientele have come to know, expect and look forward to with each stay at the brand’s 12 properties. 

The video and print campaign feature members of The Peninsula’s Hong Kong flagship and soon-to-open locations in London and Istanbul sharing the personal journeys that led them to work for the company, along with their unique insights on what makes their beloved home cities (and properties) a special destination.

The 2-minute-long profile videos—which are also available in 20-second versions in English, Cantonese (for Hong Kong) and Turkish (for Istanbul)—are narrated by the staff. Among them is Connie Lo, a standout as a female driver in a male-dominated profession in Hong Kong, who steers one of the property’s customized Rolls-Royces that transport guests.

“Every day is an adventure in my playground, finding joy in the discovery of others,” says Lo in the video and print ad, which bears her portrait. 

“With ‘Peninsula Perspectives,’ we aim to showcase the extraordinary team members that are our brand’s most priceless resource,” said Peter Borer, chief operating officer of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd., The Peninsula’s parent company, in a statement. “The way they see the world matters, and it informs every aspect of the peerless hospitality we provide. Quite simply, The Peninsula is its people.”

Change of scenery

Indeed, the videos, created by Hong Kong-based creative agency Carbon, and the portraits for the eight print ads shot by Manila-based photographer Francisco Guerrero, all have a romantic feel to them, treating the team as the VIPs they typically serve.  

“We developed an episodic approach to the creative, giving each character a monologue that was true to their unique backstories and their relationship to their host cities,” said Tereza Tan, CCO at Carbon.  

The brand also notably removed the word “hotels” from its messaging to place an emphasis on the distinct identities of each Peninsula property and its team—a pivot from its previous long-running “Portraits of Peninsula” campaign, helmed by Annie Leibowitz, that featured chefs, valets and other staffers in their professional elements. 

“Our decision to remove ‘Hotels’ from the brand’s logo was about reinforcing the idea that The Peninsula’s hospitality experience goes beyond the walls of our hotels,” Carson Glover, The Peninsula’s vp of brand marketing and communications, told Adweek.

“[The campaign] speaks to the heart of our brand, and that is of our people. Rather than offering a behind-the-scenes look at what our team members contribute to on property, this campaign is much more focused on their life and relationship with the city they call home. Our teams’ perspective, experiences and passion is what informs and ultimately enhances our guests’ experiences—so what better way to honor that than by celebrating the many ‘Peninsula Perspectives’ from around the world?”