Jordana, LCI’s Account Coordinator here. My recent trip to Las Vegas wasn’t your typical run-of-the-mill bachelor/bachelorette, stilettos and miniskirts, gamble ‘til 6 a.m. and do-things-you-wouldn’t-tell-your-parents-about weekend. In fact, I went with the parents (well, future in-laws), and had the chance to experience Vegas in a whole new (not-so-neon) light. We ate at 5-star restaurants, went to bed at a reasonable hour (4 a.m. is reasonable on Vegas time), saw an excellent show and actually toured on foot during the day rather than spending it in a darkened hotel room recovering from the previous night. We emptied our wallets at the tables, but knew when to walk away (usually with chips to cash). A great weekend some Vegas enthusiasts might consider to be hum drum. It begged me to question that ubiquitous slogan, What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas…which I felt to be an awkwardly inappropriate motto for my family-friendly weekend.
In PR, it is always necessary to define a brand’s message, then insert it any- and everywhere one is able. But, what happens when a brand’s slogan (and in this case, I think it safe to call Vegas a brand) doesn’t fit every audience? What about all those kids and their families who visit Las Vegas just to ride the New York New York rollercoaster, visit the M&M factory, see Penn and Teller and tour the Bellagio’s living botanical garden (which is amazing by the way)?
Does this ever-present brand motto of What Happens in Vegas… create an expectation for a singular experience that does not allow for a multifaceted understanding of Vegas and all it has to offer? I’d like to propose a solution (Vegas, if you’re listening): why not have several branding campaigns going at once in order to capitalize on all potential tourism? Families and nightlife enthusiasts alike will be able to visit Vegas without the expectation that they must live up to the hype of all-night parties and 5 a.m. impromptu tattoo sessions.
Some must-do’s that don’t have to stay in Vegas:
La Rév (“The Dream”) — A Cirque-du-Soleil-style show based on a Picasso painting owned by Steve Wynn
Wing Lei — The country’s only 5-Star Chinese restaurant
The Encore Casino and Suites at the Wynn
Jordana – as you know Vegas is not my favorite city. That said, your insights show great PR acumen. Bravo!
Great insight. Slogans like theirs that become part of the pop culture lexicon do tend to get tired after a while so I would definately look forward to a Vegas-brand refresh.
Your right about that slogan. It limits Vegas to a certain crowd, limiting the potential revenue that the city could attain.