Joyce Beber
Encyclopedia
Joyce Beber, born Joyce Sacks, (November 20, 1929 - September 17, 2010) was an advertising executive who co-founded the Beber Silverstein Group and created numerous memorable campaigns for the Helmsley group of hotels,. The campaigns successfully promoted Leona Helmsley
and her hotel chain; Beber was hired and fired four times by Helmsley.
, Sacks attended yeshiva
prior to moving to Manhattan
. She earned her bachelor's degree from Purdue University
, and received a masters degree in journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
. While working in social services at New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital
, Sacks met her husband to be, Charles Beber, a intern then who became a gerontologist. They married in 1956, and moved to Miami two years later.
In 1962, she met Elaine Silverstein, with whom she would co-found Beber Silverstein & Partners ten years later, at a time when women headed few agencies, investing $7,000 into the business. With two children in elementary school and no prior plans to start a career, Beber decided to go into the advertising business after hearing a speech in 1971 by Gloria Steinem
about women's rights. She got some training from a cousin who owned an advertising agency and started the firm in 1972, where their first client was the American Jewish Committee
.
The firm won many accounts, including Florida Power & Light
, the National Education Association
, Humana
, Steinway & Sons
, Paramount Pictures
, the National Organization for Women
and Knight-Ridder. The firm also did iconic (and controversial) campaigns for the State of Florida, with the slogan "Florida. The rules are different here." being interpreted as encouraging lawbreaking. She also developed tourism campaigns for Miami that said "Miami. See It Like a Native", a poster of a woman from behind wearing only snorkeling gear and a bathing suit bottom, and acampaign that used the slogan "Miami's For Me". The firm's annual billings reached $100 million.
The agency did work for the Helmsley Hotel group, and was hired — and fired — by hotelier Leona Helmsley
on four separate occasions. Beber had to file suit on three occasions to get paid. In one of the firm's first meetings with Helmsley, Beber's conversation was interrupted by a call Mrs. Helmsley took from a hotel guest who had been dissatisfied with a noisy air conditioning unit, and they spoke about Helmsley's frustration with the inadequate quality of the towels the hotel provided. Beber used the conversation as the impetus to develop a campaign for Helmsley that featured her as "Queen of the Palace", carefully watching over every detail at the Harley Hotel in Manhattan
. Occupancy shot up from 25% to 87% after just four months, and the campaign was recognized by Adweek
magazine as opening "a new chapter in U.S. hotel advertising". and billing the Helmsley Palace Hotel
as "The only Palace in the world where the Queen stands guard". A 1985 article in the Chicago Tribune
credited the ad campaign with having "made Leona Helmsley more famous than the Helmsley hotel chain for which she speaks". Helmsley fired Beber four different times: once, in order to handle advertising internally; again after Beber added Donald Trump
as a client; next, when she blamed Beber's ad campaign for raising her profile leading to her tax evasion conviction; finally, when Helmsley found out that a man to whom Beber had introduced her (and in whom Helmsley had been romantically interested) turned out to be gay. After one of the firings, Helmsley told an interviewer that "You could say I gave her the royal flush". When the firm was rehired after Helmsley's income tax evasion conviction, Beber developed the slogan "Say what you will, she runs a helluva hotel."
Beber suffered a stroke in 2003, and died in Miami at age 80 on September 17, 2010 of leukemia
. She was survived by her husband, two daughters and four grandchildren. Her daughter Jennifer joined the firm in 1988, later becoming its president. Beber's other daughter, Neena, is a playwright.
Leona Helmsley
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman and real estate entrepreneur. She was a flamboyant personality and had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname Queen of Mean...
and her hotel chain; Beber was hired and fired four times by Helmsley.
Career
Born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Sacks attended yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
prior to moving to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. She earned her bachelor's degree from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, and received a masters degree in journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
. While working in social services at New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital
Mount Sinai Hospital, New York
Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is one of the oldest and largest teaching hospitals in the United States. In 2011-2012, Mount Sinai Hospital was ranked as one of America's best hospitals by U.S...
, Sacks met her husband to be, Charles Beber, a intern then who became a gerontologist. They married in 1956, and moved to Miami two years later.
In 1962, she met Elaine Silverstein, with whom she would co-found Beber Silverstein & Partners ten years later, at a time when women headed few agencies, investing $7,000 into the business. With two children in elementary school and no prior plans to start a career, Beber decided to go into the advertising business after hearing a speech in 1971 by Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s...
about women's rights. She got some training from a cousin who owned an advertising agency and started the firm in 1972, where their first client was the American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
.
The firm won many accounts, including Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light Company, the principal subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. , commonly referred to by its initials, FPL, is a Juno Beach, Florida-based power utility which serves roughly 4.4 million customers in Florida. FPL Group holds power generation assets in more than 20 U.S...
, the National Education Association
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
, Humana
Humana
Humana Inc. , founded in 1961 in Louisville, Kentucky, is a Fortune 100 company that markets and administers health insurance. With a customer base of over 11.5 million in the United States, the company is the largest Fortune 100 company headquartered in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and has a...
, Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
, Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
and Knight-Ridder. The firm also did iconic (and controversial) campaigns for the State of Florida, with the slogan "Florida. The rules are different here." being interpreted as encouraging lawbreaking. She also developed tourism campaigns for Miami that said "Miami. See It Like a Native", a poster of a woman from behind wearing only snorkeling gear and a bathing suit bottom, and acampaign that used the slogan "Miami's For Me". The firm's annual billings reached $100 million.
The agency did work for the Helmsley Hotel group, and was hired — and fired — by hotelier Leona Helmsley
Leona Helmsley
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman and real estate entrepreneur. She was a flamboyant personality and had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname Queen of Mean...
on four separate occasions. Beber had to file suit on three occasions to get paid. In one of the firm's first meetings with Helmsley, Beber's conversation was interrupted by a call Mrs. Helmsley took from a hotel guest who had been dissatisfied with a noisy air conditioning unit, and they spoke about Helmsley's frustration with the inadequate quality of the towels the hotel provided. Beber used the conversation as the impetus to develop a campaign for Helmsley that featured her as "Queen of the Palace", carefully watching over every detail at the Harley Hotel in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Occupancy shot up from 25% to 87% after just four months, and the campaign was recognized by Adweek
Adweek
Adweek is a weekly American advertising trade publication that was first published in 1978....
magazine as opening "a new chapter in U.S. hotel advertising". and billing the Helmsley Palace Hotel
The New York Palace Hotel
The New York Palace blends the historic landmark Villard Mansion with a modern 55-story tower. Located at the center of Manhattan in Midtown at the corner of 50th Street and Madison Avenue, it is directly across the street from St Patrick's Cathedral, and a short walk from Rockefeller Center and...
as "The only Palace in the world where the Queen stands guard". A 1985 article in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
credited the ad campaign with having "made Leona Helmsley more famous than the Helmsley hotel chain for which she speaks". Helmsley fired Beber four different times: once, in order to handle advertising internally; again after Beber added Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
as a client; next, when she blamed Beber's ad campaign for raising her profile leading to her tax evasion conviction; finally, when Helmsley found out that a man to whom Beber had introduced her (and in whom Helmsley had been romantically interested) turned out to be gay. After one of the firings, Helmsley told an interviewer that "You could say I gave her the royal flush". When the firm was rehired after Helmsley's income tax evasion conviction, Beber developed the slogan "Say what you will, she runs a helluva hotel."
Beber suffered a stroke in 2003, and died in Miami at age 80 on September 17, 2010 of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. She was survived by her husband, two daughters and four grandchildren. Her daughter Jennifer joined the firm in 1988, later becoming its president. Beber's other daughter, Neena, is a playwright.