Poughkeepsie Journal from Poughkeepsie, New York • Page 3D

I Thursday, November 14', 1985 Poughkeepsie Journal 3D Meet Leona Helmsley, the undisputed queen of New York By Barbara Llppert At In New York City, there Is one mayor and one queen. Both are natural advertisements tor themselves. The mayor, Ed Koch, raises his arms triumphantly on city streets, as if he owns the place, and asks "How'm I doln?" The queen, Leona Helmsley, is married to real estate magnate Harry Helmsley, who owns 26 hotels around the country, as well as a good chunk of the apartment and office buildings In New York. As president of the hotel chain, Leona, like Koch, has shown the same Instinctive understanding of how to gain power and attention through gestures and folksy questions: Leona is shown in ads, raising her arms exultantly (in her case, she does own the place) telling people, "I wouldn't settle for a (fill in the blank). why should you?" And while it probably never occurred to people on the street spontaneously to tell Ed Koch how great he was he had to ask it also never occurred to most magazine readers to get worked up over a phone less hotel bathroom until Leona Helmsley raised the subject Many people think Leona Helmsley is to charm what Jimmy Durante was to voices; but like her or not, she has revolutionized advertising in her industry, with her scary, brazen, almost insane dedication to botel detail.

"Why should you, why should you, why should you, why should you," she says to settling for small, non Halston bathtowels, for making do with non magnifying makeup mir ros, or puny coffee cups. And over the years magazine readers have gotten to know more about her personal habits, for example, than they do about some close friends or mates. Because of this Intimacy, each of the hotel guests then gets a thrilling little brush with celebrity just by using the bathroom. And that's the strength of her ad campaign, which consists ot ads for Helmsley Palace, in which Leona appears In gold lame gowns and calk herself a Queen; ads for the Park Lane, showing Leona at her desk answering guests letters and punning while she's at it, and ads for the Har ley that take'tho "Why should you?" approach. They all add up to unbridled Leona, whose force la somewhat stronger than Hurricane Gloria's.

She's obviously not concerned with seeming dignified In the, conventional woman executive sense. For one Barbara lippert jKlf Syndicated mTiu Columnist thing, she's not afraid to come off in ads as a royal bitch. People therefore respond to her in the same way they love to hate the Joan Collins character on "Dynasty" (who also wears drop dead glamor outfits.) Then there's Lcona'a Nancy Hea gan like adoring wife qualify, but for her its the I married Harry factor. She worships Harry and brings him unabashedly into every conversation. Every year she throws an "I'm Just wild about Harry" party for his birthday.

At it, real estate tycoon Helmsley gamely wears a button that says "I'm Harry." But in a "60 Minutes" segment, Mike Wallace interviewed Harry and Leona at their Connecticut home. Suddenly, Leona grabbed Harry's head and, holding it up to the camera like some prize winning melon, said, "Look at that head! Do you see the shape of that! Do you see the brain in there?" At a recent press conference announcing the change in name of the New York Harley to the New York Helmsley, she dragged HaTry up to the podium, to hug and kiss him and have him speak. Harry explained that he thought the made up Harley name was "cute" (it's a combination of Harry and Leona) but that it proved confusing to travelers in New York. 'If there's one thing that's worse than a skimpy towel, it's a confusing name Now there's a new ad campaign promoting the redesignated hotel. The introductory ad, with Leona pointing to Harry's framed portrait on a boardroom wall, reached new heights of visual hilarity.

Harry who looks so sweet and easy going as he smiles and holds his glasses is again dragged into the picture as a large head only, just as he as in the "60 Minutes" interview. The visual of the ad is so strong that it eliminated the need for copy. and in fact, the copy protests UK much and doesn't make sense I married Harry, I changed my nam to his. Now that the Harley is just the way we want it, we're changing. Is name to his all the Inn provements I made on the was time to put his name on the But I'll bet Harry doesn't mind why should he? mmmmtmtt JaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHflP HHHHSBBBBJRI 6 Day, No Risk 1 ney Back Guarantee up visits fori year too! .1 2" i i 7m sssssstumft mlkvsmiiwf ilJl, "The Sterling Contact lens Package" JBfiusch Lomb Daily Wear Soft Lenses $78 Eye Examination and Fitting 00 follow up Visits for One Full Year 00 Starter Care Kit 00 60 day 100 Money Back Guarantee 00 Bifocal, tone and aphakic lentet ovoilablo at odditional cott II 5 ft Your Total Cost 001 mice ateww 11 w.toni cHABott 11 EXTENDED WEAR LENSES HO ADOrnOHi ONLY $20 MORE cx'Ll iiiiS.

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