The Challenge
Our research shows that with the stress and pressure of everyday life, our travelers are seeking an escape from it all, which Las Vegas has always provided. As we entered into a new decade, the time was right to evolve the ‘What Happens Here, Stays Here’ tagline to reflect the evolution of the destination, the experience and the visitor.
The Strategy
Las Vegas is at the forefront of business innovation, technological advancement, and of course, spectacular entertainment. Our research confirmed that our visitors know the unexpected can happen in Vegas and that an ordinary day or night can become extraordinary. Using this intel, we decided to showcase what ONLY happens in Las Vegas to excite visitors about the destination.
The Work
The new campaign launched during the 62nd GRAMMY™ Awards, making Las Vegas the first destination to ever place a 60-second ad during the international broadcast and the first to debut the campaign with an emoji prompted by the campaign hashtag #OnlyVegas on Twitter.
Las Vegas tapped into its roster of star-studded resident performers to showcase the destination in a way that Only Vegas can. The new ad features Live Nation residency artists Shania Twain, Christina Aguilera and Aerosmith, who filmed their part during one of their “Deuces Are Wild” residency dates at Park Theater at Park MGM. Both Twain’s “Let’s Go!” and Aguilera’s “The Xperience” residencies are at Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. It also showcases Lady Gaga’s bandleader Brian Newman and his show “Brian Newman After Dark” at The NoMad Restaurant at NoMad Las Vegas and UFC heavyweight fighter Francis Ngannou.
To celebrate the campaign’s launch, a press conference was held at Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas where Governor Steve Sisolak proclaimed January 30, 2020 as Only Vegas Day.
Following the proclamation ceremony, selfie-worthy Instagram pop-ups were unveiled at some of the city’s most iconic locations including Fremont Street Experience, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Fountains of Bellagio, The LINQ Promenade, Harry Reid International Airport – Terminal 1, Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas and Wynn Las Vegas. Later that evening, resort marquees up and down the Las Vegas Strip displayed #OnlyVegas messaging, while the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, The High Roller at The LINQ Promenade and the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign glowed purple in reflection of the new campaign.
Also for the first time ever, Las Vegas ran an ad during the Super Bowl LIV pre-game festivities. In combination with the TV spot, the destination secured a Super Bowl Sunday sponsorship on Twitter and ran a short commercial preceding highlight clips from the @NFL handle.