“Australians are the most fun people in the world,” says Paris Hilton. Which is lovely for me, an Australian, to hear after having flown almost 15 hours from Sydney to Los Angeles to visit her on-set.
Paris has always had a kinship with Australia so her new ad with the Irwin fam for Uber Eats’ ‘Tonight, I’ll Be Eating’ campaign is a no-brainer.
Agreeing to drop everything to go watch Paris film the ad and meet the legend herself was also a no-brainer.
It’s Paris bloody Hilton. A name synonymous with celebrity, fame, icon etc. Hell, she’s even created her own words and phrases which are now part of the vernacular, like ‘sliving’, ‘loves it’ and, of course, ‘that’s hot’ (all of which she said out loud during our time together – prompting an internal happy dance from me each time).
But beyond all of that, beyond the catch phrases and the pink and the noughties nostalgia is one clear and undeniable fact: Paris Hilton is one savvy businesswoman.
In an age where people get bored of trends and celebs so damn quick, Paris has managed to maintain relevance from the noughties til now, to the point where Uber Eats sought her out for their award-winning campaign.
That’s not luck. That’s the mark of a genius marketing strategy that has kept the name and brand of Paris Hilton alive and sliving for all these years.
After spending most of my life adoringly watching Paris’ every move via tabloids, social media, and several reality shows and documentaries, it’s an unimaginable treat to be able to actually watch Paris’ every move IRL as she filmed the ad.
Paris Hilton is a powerful presence. One that I could feel even before she’d entered the set.
And when she did, she arrived in a mist of pink with her chihuahuas Diamond Baby and Ether Reum in tow, both of whom star in the ad.
As I spent time with Paris during the filming of the ad, hearing her rattle off her iconic “that’s hot” slogan while wearing a pink zookeeper outfit and clutching one of her fur babies, it occurred to me: where did this ‘dumb blonde’ reputation come from?
Why can’t women wear pink and sparkles and use slang and love chihuahuas without copping negative labels? Why can’t women do all that and be savvy businesswomen? Paris Hilton is living proof that you can be both!
A few years ago Paris reclaimed the ‘dumb blonde’ moniker she’d been plastered with by revealing that the whole thing was a character. A persona, if you will. One that helped launch a lucrative long-lasting career that’s spanned multiple fields for multiple decades, from television to film to music and DJing to social media influencing.
Not only is Paris having the last laugh, but she’s laughing all the way to the bank as she’s still expanding that empire and this Uber Eats ad is the latest in a series of triumphs for the star.
In between takes, Paris sat down with me to chat about everything from her new endorsement deal with Uber Eats to her love of Australia.
What a fun campaign! I’m sure you get so many offers thrown your way, what made you decide to sign on for this one?
Obviously I get so many offers so it’s hard to fit everything into my schedule, but Uber Eats fits with me and my brand so much because I use it basically every single day. I love it! I love food, I love ordering and I love the brand Uber so when I got the call to do this, and it was with Australians and the Irwins, I was like, ‘This sounds like so much fun!’ I love the Aussies! Let’s do this!
Yay! Well we love you just as a much. It’s a mutual love! But back to Uber Eats: what’s your most frequent order?
I order everything. It depends on what mood I’m in. If I’m in a fast food mood I’ll order McDonald’s french fries or tacos from Taco Bell. It depends on what mood I’m in and what my husband wants to eat. My husband loves sushi!
Have you ever ordered anything from Uber Eats for one of your dogs?
Yes. They hate dog food so I’m always on Uber Eats getting them food. You can actually order dog food from Uber Eats, but there’s also stores in LA that make dog food that’s human grade. Or I’ll just order them hamburgers or chicken or steak.
That is amazing! People are gonna die over that… how wild!
They hate dog food now, they will literally only eat food from Uber Eats delivery.
[Editor’s note: At this point in the chat her 24-carat diamond ring catches my eye and almost blinds me, so I have to comment on it.]
Wow, I just noticed your ring. That thing is blinding! Absolutely gorgeous.
Oh thank you! Loves it.
Your wedding was stunning, by the way. A total fairytale.
Aw, thank you so much!
Now I wanna talk about the Irwins! Have you met them?
No, I haven’t.
Did you communicate with them at all?
They sent me a video and it was so sweet. I can’t wait to meet them! They invited me to the Australia Zoo when I go Down Under again. I can’t wait to go, they seem like such lovely, kind people and I’m obsessed with animals and I know obviously they are too, so. I can’t wait to hang out with them.
What are your favourite Aussie animals?
I love koalas and kangaroos.
Nice. Did you know that some people in Australia eat kangaroo? Would you ever try some roo meat?
No! That’s so messed up. That’s crazy… I can’t imagine that people would do that. It’s so mean.
Not into it?
No, I can’t believe people would do that. It’s an icon.
In some parts of the country they’re considered a pest, believe it or not.
*gasps*
I know, it’s crazy.
But they’re so cute!
I know, I know. OK, let’s switch gears… While you were preparing to film this, did you happen to catch any of the previous ‘Tonight, I’ll Be Eating’ ads?
When I was getting ready just now, I wanted to see the vibe of it so I googled ‘Uber Eats Australia ads’ to get caught up and I saw so many of my friends in the ads and thought it was so cool.
Kim [Kardashian’s] ad was so funny! The one where she did the bob wig? Oh my god, it was hilarious.
Oh my god, we need to talk about that ad! Do you happen to know the woman she was in that ad with? It was a character from Kath & Kim, have you heard of it?
Oh yeah, I’ve heard of it!
Well you’re referenced on there quite a few times. One of the main characters is obsessed with you and she mentions you.
Aw, I love that! I wanna look it up later!
Definitely do! It’s a hoot. As I said, us Aussies love you. Speaking of which: the next time you’re Down Under, what’s the first thing you plan on ordering? Are there any Aussie foods you like?
I honestly eat everything.
Have you tried Tim Tams? I feel like you’d love them.
YES! I love TimTams. They’re so good. I also love going to Bondi Icebergs for lunch. I love Bondi Beach. I love going there for New Year’s Eve. Also New Year’s Day is even more fun in Australia, which is so crazy. Around the world, usually New Year’s Eve would be more fun but in Australia, New Year’s Day is so sick.
A selfie with the inventor of selfies.
You’ve spent so much time in Australia, what are some of your favourite memories?
So many memories! I lived down there for a few months when I was shooting the House of Wax and we were living on the Gold Coast and that was just so much fun. Hanging out with the cast and just like going shopping around there, going to the Versace Hotel.
I loved when Kim and I went and stayed at Bondi Beach and we were there for a while for a tour to promote my fragrance. I’ve also toured around there DJing. For Australian Fashion Week. The Matrix premiere was insane. A lot of crazy fun memories. Australians are the most fun people in the world.
Well as I said, it’s a mutual love! Please come back v. soon, we’d love to host you again. I’ll have the Tim Tams waiting.
I can’t wait!
Matty Galea is the Senior Entertainment Editor at PEDESTRIAN.TV, as well as our resident astrologer who pens our weekly horoscope series, ‘Your Horos Are Here’. He also Tweets about pop culture and astrology and posts spicy content on Instagram.
