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What Happens Here, Stays Here
How Vegas's need for a refresh birthed one of the best slogans in history
Ali Kaltman
August 18, 2024
Brand: Las Vegas
Campaign: What Happens in Vegas
Read time: 5 minutes
💬 Overview 💬
Today’s topic is… VEGAS BABY.
Vegas has always been known for resorts and gambling, but today it’s known for so much more.
Vegas is an adult playground. It’s where you can go to escape, to let your guard down and lose your inhibition.
However, it wasn’t always like that.
In the early 2000s, Las Vegas had begun to taper on tourism growth.
The city had a true marketing need:
Position Las Vegas as more than a gambling destination, but rather a place promoting adult freedom and empowerment.
They consulted ad agency R&R Partners who quickly got to work.
It took the agency team over a year of really understanding the Vegas mindset to come up with this iconic work.
They asked visitors the question, "What made you choose Vegas over other destinations?"
It all came down to one thing:
Adult Freedom
💙 The Branded Moment 💙
Vegas allowed the opportunity to cut loose and do things people wouldn’t ordinarily do back home with no regrets.
The overall lure of Vegas was universal…
But each person’s Vegas journey was rooted in individual imagination and emotion.
"What happens here, stays here" captured this truth perfectly.
The team began spreading the message with a simple landing page, and used this tagline in a full 360 campaign.
PR, Web, OOH, Earned Media…
And the results… well.. the results were historic.
💡 Results 💡
42M+ visitors every year, 23% increase in hotel rates, movies created around the concept.
This campaign transcended advertising and cemented it’s place as a pop culture moment.
To this day, this tagline has become synonymous with the city.
It's hard to imagine a Vegas without the infamous tagline.
🎬 Take Action 🎬
There’s a lot to takeaway from this campaign, but here are my most clear takeaways:
1. The more concise, the more clarity.
2. Great work takes time and understanding.
3. A great brief starts with true clarity around the business challenge.
+ Be so iconic that it's hard to imagine the brand without your work.
What’s New This Week
One new product I tried this week 👉 My parents got a Breville Espresso Machine, and I am now a barista.
One new campaign I’m loving 👉 Spotify x A Bathing Ape: Spotify getting into the merch game makes SO MUCH SENSE. Let’s keep it coming.
One piece of content to watch/listen/read 👉 How Brands Grow: If you saw the LinkedIn post from the Nike exec talking about their company’s situation, he mentions this book. I started reading it and LOVE the scientific approach to brand growth.
Brandkeeping
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it on to 3 marketers you know!
And if you have a brand or campaign you want to spotlight, please reply directly to this newsletter.
Let’s chat!
See ya!
Ali
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