ADVERTISING / MARKETING : Ritz-Carlton’s Own Video Is Designed to Show That It’s More Than a Hotel

Move over, Madonna and U2. The Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel has its own video. And while you won’t see the seven-minute flick on MTV, it has been playing in living rooms across the country.

The luxury resort’s “video brochure” was dreamed up by the Ritz’s corporate headquarters in Atlanta. The idea is to show that “the resort is more than just a hotel. And a brochure doesn’t tell enough,” said Linda Adams, public relations manager.

Once viewers sit back, they’ll see a mini-travelogue showing dinners, golf, swimming and the ultra-posh interior of the Ritz. It’s accompanied by music that includes “The Four Seasons” (Vivaldi, not Valli) and the sort of soft classic sound that goes with afternoon tea.

The tapes are no quickie production. They were filmed over 10 days, live and on location and include shots by helicopter, “above, afar and inside,” Adams said.

American Express cardholders can call the hotel’s toll-free number and request VHS or Betamax tapes of the Ritzy resort spot of their choice. There are tapes on the Ritz Carltons in Laguna Niguel, Atlanta, Boston, and Naples, Fla.

Sequels are planned on new Ritz hotels being built.