Welcome to Camp Vegas?
May 1, 2010
Yesterday, the LVCVA unleashed a new brainchild marketing campaign with the multi-million budget handed to them by Nevada taxpayers.
What’s the new campaign?
“Camp Vegas”
Why?
Because we’re, uh, a “Summer Camp” for adults.
Yeah, I don’t really get it either.
Here is the mainstream take, along with soundbite video:
The calendar may say April, but the mayor and the LVCVA think it’s time to break out the bikini. Thursday morning, a group of bikini-clad skydivers landed on the Las Vegas Strip to kick off a new summer tourism campaign.
“If this is promoted and people all over the world see it, they know that Las Vegas stands for fun,” said Mayor Oscar Goodman.
“We’re saying ok, send your kids to camp when summer is out,” said Las Vegas icon Wayne Newton. “You adults come to Camp Vegas. This is where it’s happening.”
“Vegas is definitely the best summer camp for adults,” added Peepshow headliner Holly Madison. “We’ve got the best pools, the best resorts, the best nightlife, everything.”
The hot temperatures in the valley might have scared some summer visitors away in the past. But officials say it’s time to embrace being a hot place.
“Get on the Strip,” said County Commissioner Tom Collins. “Come to our resorts and see how hot it is, and I don’t mean the temperature. This is a great place to be.”
The Las Vegas sign will remain Camp Vegas through Friday.
Look, I’m not obtuse and I see what they are going for … the problem is that this ad campaign is very pedestrian.
It’s not creative, it’s not witty, it’s not catchy, it doesn’t rhyme, it’s not thought provoking, they just replaced the word “Las” with “Camp”, and let it go at that. Frankly, I could have thought of this. You could have thought of it as well. And what is with the quote by Tom Collins? ”Come and see how hot it is and I don’t mean the temperature.”
Really?
I mean … REALLY?
This is a line I would have expected from Holly Madison, but the County Commissioner? I can just imagine this guy sitting in a jacuzzi, bobbing his head from side-to-side, and hawking the phrase at passing women – “Yo baby, it’s hot in here and I don’t mean the water”.
Hey Tom, Larry from Three’s Company called, and he wants his pickup line back.
Anyway, to honor the kickoff of this momentous marketing gimmick, the Welcome to Las Vegas sign was temporarily altered to read “Welcome to Camp Vegas”. The “Camp” is to be left in place for 36 hours. This is the first time the sign has been (legally) altered in its 51 year history. Of course, this being the case, I had to go and see it for myself, which I did today.
Welcome to Fabulous Camp Vegas Sign
Welcome to Fabulous Camp Vegas Sign
Welcome to Fabulous Camp Vegas Sign
So, how well is the sign going over with the rank-and-file tourist?
So well that every visitor I encountered at the sign during my half hour stay was completely and utterly confused. Since I was kind of in on the scheme, I offered to fill in a couple of people to gauge their reactions.
Upon hearing my explanation, one female visitor in her mid-30′s responded “That’s stupid”.
A male in his early 40′s replied “Oh”.
A person speaking for a group of four said “I hope they put it back before we leave so we can get a picture with the real sign”.
Another person thought I was just making shit up.
Each and every person I interacted with exuded the enthusiasm of Ben Stein on phenobarbital.
It looks like the LVCVA has another winner.
Last but certainly not least, Oscar Goodman and Tom Collins issued a joint mayoral and county proclamation declaring that summer in Las Vegas officially begins on April 30th, instead of June 21st like the rest of the world.
Whatever.
Written by Tyler Durden on May 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm
That slogan is just stupid as hell.
Written by ColinFromLasVegas on May 1, 2010 at 2:07 pm
“A person speaking for a group of four said “I hope they put it back before we leave so we can get a picture with the real sign”.”
Hilarious. Gave me my first morning laugh at that comment. Sometimes it’s best to just leave things alone.
I can just envision it now. How this all came about. Las Vegas Convention Visitors Authority (LVCVA) sitting around a conference room table. Ideas are asked for. One guy dares to venture forth and says, “How about we mess with the name of our city? Change the first part of it. LAS. What does that mean? It don’t have oomph to it. So we change that. But we gotta keep VEGAS. Because we get rid of that, no one will know where it is. They’ll think it’s downtown Des Moines or Lake Winnabasockee or something. So, maybe change that first word… Keep VEGAS.”
Another guy goes, “Okay. How about the first word is HANGOVER?”
“No. That’s a movie already.”
Another one chimes in, “How about VISIT?”
“Nooooo. It don’t have pizzazz. Sounds old fashioned. 1950s junk with Bugsy Siegel. We’re in another century.”
Another one says, “I GOT IT! How about CHICKEN?”
“Noooo…. Sue Lowden’s got a lock on that already. Campaign slogan for her health care.”
“How about SCREW?”
“Noooo!!!!! That’s a bit over the top!”
“How about CAMP?”
“THAT’S IT, Mr. Snow! Go for that stupid movie with bad jokes “Meatballs” thing. Go for that adults as adolescents thing. Rediscover youth. Great idea to attract the whole family here!”
And yet another great idea emits from the lips of Mr. Fucking Randy Fucking Snow.
And he sits there and revels in the glory of yet another rocket scientist idea of thinking up some slogan that will only last 36 hours, while scribbling on paper trying to figure out how to add $125,010.67 more a year to his paycheck because of his pearl of wisdom he uttered.
Meanwhile, tourists go to the famous sign, look at it, see it’s changed, scratch their heads in befuddlement, wondering why ad gurus in Las Vegas are losing their fucking minds by changing something that has worked year after year.
God, I love this town.
Written by wbeem on May 1, 2010 at 4:06 pm
For 36 hours, people who want to have a picture of the famous Las Vegas sign get there and say “uh, never mind.” How fucking disappointing.
I bet elementary school kids could come up with a better campaign.
Written by Dave Memphis MOJO on May 1, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Great photos! Crisp, nice colors, well-composed, etc.
Written by huddler on May 1, 2010 at 7:46 pm
“One this one time at Vegas Camp”….
Written by huddler on May 1, 2010 at 8:19 pm
“And this one time at Vegas Camp”…
Written by BigRedDogATL on May 1, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Now someone needs to go to the temporary sign and cross out the ‘ab’ and ‘lous’ in the word Fabulous and then people would understand it.
Written by chuckreis on May 2, 2010 at 12:42 am
Beem is right, if I wandered to the sign, which is out of the way for most Tourists and it was altered I would be pissed.
I am flipping a coin to see which is more idiotic, this or the iPad.
Written by Ben on May 2, 2010 at 10:44 am
On the surface it looks stupid, but I’m guessing by changing the sign they got a lot of national media coverage. I can picture local newscasts around the country teasing the story. “Las Vegas sign changing after 50 years? We’ll show you at 11.”
Sure, people driving past the sign were confused, but they weren’t the target of the campaign.
As far as people getting their picture taken, this is a unique opportunity. Every dope has their picture with the “Welcome to Las Vegas”… but only a small fraction of people will get to take their picture in front of this version. It’s like having a coin or a baseball card with an error. The card is technically messed up because of the error, but worth more because it’s so rare.
Written by J. Louise on May 3, 2010 at 9:24 pm
I’m with you, Rex. I wonder what bright idea they’ll think of next.
Written by Ron from Mi on May 4, 2010 at 4:05 am
I Don’t Get it either.
Yet, in future….we’ll see what the rest of the country thinks….
I think it’s gonna take a little more than just a slogan to get more people in and to reduce the drop in airline flights arriving at McCarran.
Here’s my solution to the Vegas-in-tourist-decline problem: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, STUPID!)
Simply put (although introducing the Wayner or Holly wasn’t a bad idea at all.)
Written by Andrew on May 4, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Lame. I’m getting married there later this year and plan on having some wedding pics taken at the sign. I would have been so pissed off if this was up. Stupidest ad campaign ever.
Written by james on May 5, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Things that come to mind when I hear “Camp Vegas”
A. A stupid ABC Family TV movie
B. A military base
C. A gay bar
Written by Casino Barred on May 7, 2010 at 9:50 pm
This is really funny! Camp Vegas! Have they not worked out that the wording can be taken two ways? There’s the traditional “camp vegas” – ok, some for summer camp in Las Vegas, but there’s also the “gay way” – e.g. Oh, Vegas is so camp darling! Or perhaps that’s a part of their marketing strategy?
What will their next marketing slogan be: “Vegas, we give you more!”, or “Vegas. Viagra for slot players.”? Hey, why not just go with the movie title: “Vegas Vacation!”… probably more appropriate.
One thing is for sure about Las Vegas, it’s always reinventing itself. Gotta give it points for that.
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