(Bloomberg) -- Paris Hilton feels her time has come -- again.
Long a staple of pop culture, Hilton is refreshing her image, trying to pivot from a party-loving it-girl to a “timeless icon” that brands can see as a family-friendly, innovative leader. Suddenly, she’s everywhere again: on streaming television, in fashion ads and even on Roblox. It’s all part of her plan, but in this iteration of Hilton, expect to see NFTs instead of billboards.
Considered one of the most prominent influencers of the early 2000s, the actress has since amassed over 55 million fans across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. More if you count Weibo, one of the largest social media platforms in China. And her following includes some of the biggest names in entertainment, from Madonna to Kim Kardashian West.
Other celebrities are translating their prominence into creative empires: Reese Witherspoon landed a $900 million valuation for Hello Sunshine, LeBron James’ SpringHill Co. is worth an estimated $725 million and Will Smith’s Westbrook is valued at $600 million. In October, Hilton partnered with Walt Disney Co. veteran Bruce Gersh to try to do just that, forming 11:11 Media. While her new venture will invest in upstart products and launch new entertainment projects, a key focus will be on selling partnerships with Hilton’s brand.
“I love sharing my platform with others and using my voice to put it out there in ways that they never could, so that’s why I make an amazing partner,” Hilton said in an interview.
The hotel-chain heiress rose to prominence in the reality show “The Simple Life” in 2003. Now, she has a show on NBC’s streaming service Peacock, “Paris In Love,” and a podcast with IHeartMedia Inc. called “This Is Paris.” Although her Netflix Inc. show, “Cooking With Paris,” was canceled after one season, Gersh said she has other food programs in the works as part of a two-year deal with Warner Bros. to develop unscripted content.
Hilton is also pushing into modern entertainment venues, namely, the metaverse. She set up shop in Roblox, an online platform with 47.3 million daily active users where top attractions can draw billions of visits. In Paris World, players can explore her island paradise complete with amusement park, petting zoo, nightclub and mansion where they can buy outfits from her closet. She hosted her first event in Roblox on New Year’s Eve.
So far, she’s attracted less than 62,000 visits, but Hilton says she sees potential.
“I see Paris World evolving into a destination for different events throughout the year -- Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl, New York Fashion Week,” Hilton said.
She also has ambitions to bring brands into the metaverse, teasing on Instagram an upcoming announcement with ZipRecruiter Inc.
Next week, Hilton will drop her first NFTs with Super Plastic, a vinyl toy and digital collectibles company backed by the likes of Google Ventures and Justin Timberlake. Hilton sold her Iconic Crypto Queen NFT in April 2021 for $1.1 million and has a collection of 141 pieces, including works by Grimes and Steve Aoki.
“I think it’s important for people to not only be in the physical world but also to be in the digital world,” she said. “I see this is as the future of partying, going out, interacting with people and being social.”
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Advertisement