The Travelodge hotel chain in the UK issued a press release last week announcing the results of a “survey” of the top ten books left behind in their hotel rooms this summer (which technically hasn’t ended yet, first flag).
The books were:
1. The Blair Years – Alastair Campbell
2. Dont You Know Who I am? – Piers Morgan
3. A Whole New World – Jordon
4. Wicked – Jilly Cooper
5. Dr Who Creatures & Demons – Justin Richard
6. The Diana Chronicles – Tina Brown
7. I Can Make You Thin – Paul McKenna
8. Humble Pie – Gordon Ramsey
9. The Story Of A Man And His Mouth – Chris Moyles
10. Harry Potter And The Deathly – J.K Rowling
They claim that 6500 books a year are left behind in their hotels each year. Where that stacks up against the toothbrushes, shampoos and sex toys that are left behind is not mentioned though one would suspect books to be a distant fourth. The survey also does not include the books left behind that were swiped by housekeeping.
The press release was picked up by every newspaper outlet in England and spread through the blogosphere quite healthily. It was news!
According to Michael Allen, The Grumpy Old Bookman, it was all a pr fantasy concocted to generated “column inches”
He says:
I do not believe for an instant that this alleged survey ever took place at all (despite what it says in the press release). I think this was made up, from start to finish, with Campbell’s book being chosen for the number-one spot because it was the book thought most likely to catch the eye of news editors, most of whom have rather mixed feelings about A. Campbell.
Some hard-pressed p.r. person, under orders to get the Travelodge name some publicity or else, sat there sucking his pen and thinking, Hmm. August is a quiet month. What can we do about the things that people leave behind them? Let’s see now. Vibrators, of course. Handcuffs. Nah, a bit too risque. Clothes? Who cares?
Wow. If indeed this was all fabricated it is a another clear indicator of the dangers of desperation and the absurdity of public relations.