Las Vegas: Where Good Ideas Come to Die
November 13, 2009
How about that for a slogan?
Dear LVCVA … that one’s on the house.
You knew it couldn’t last.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/Pole-dancer-truck-to-disappear-from-Strip-70038082.html:
”Hauling pole dancers around the Strip in a transparent box turned out to be a short-lived marketing stunt.
The owners of the all-nude clubs Deja Vu Showgirls and Little Darlings agreed today to halt the road shows that grabbed widespread attention and stirred a debate about whether they had gone too far, even in Las Vegas.
Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak, who considered it a traffic hazard, welcomed the news.
“There will be no more stripper-mobiles after right now,” Sisolak said. “It’s gone. It’s done.” …
Given that Larry Beard, Marketing Director of Deja Vu, insisted to the Associated Press earlier this week that he was willing to fight the County on the matter, it looks like he quickly turned into the anatomical object that his dancers are hiding under the front of their g-strings.
Or maybe he’s a marketing genius.
There has been some rumbling that this was the plan all along. Generate as much controversy in as little time as possible, and then pull the promotion and ride that press as well. No publicity is bad publicity as long as you spell the name of the club correctly.
Honestly, I cannot fathom a legal reason that the County could use to shut it down. I’m not convinced that the girls are in any more danger than they would be on a public bus or subway.
You’ve seen the truck in the photos and video in the previous post on this subject, and I think you’ll agree that it’s not that much more revealing than many of the billboards that are currently on display around town. For crying out loud, we have taxicabs roaming the streets with a row of bare asses proudly displayed on their trunk.
We followed the truck for a complete round-trip on Wednesday night, and it certainly was not a road hazard. When traffic opened up, we had to step on the gas to keep up with it. It got up to 35Mph quite quickly, and it was not shy about changing lanes. The driver even cut us off near City Center, but given the view … we didn’t mind.
I’m sure it did distract some drivers per some other complaints … but what are billboards, marquees, and other shiny and flashing things that line The Strip?
Are they not designed to attract attention?
Furthermore, what in the hell do you call a giant volcano spewing lava 50 feet from the street?
I can’t see where the County had any legal case whatsoever without outlawing some of the other advertising and attractions that have lined The Strip for more than a decade, but I’m not a lawyer.
I got discouraged a few times, but I’m glad I expended the time and energy to find the stripper mobile.
I heard about the Deja Vu truck on the news and I saw it from a distance before Wednesday, but I didn’t want to write it up until I got my own material. The mainstream aspect of the story had already been reported ad-nauseum, and I wanted to see it for myself in action before formulating an opinion.
I cruised the Boulevard a couple of times before Wednesday looking for the truck, but I couldn’t find it to save my life. I probably made a dozen passes from Sahara to the Mandalay looking for the vehicle, but it wasn’t around. It turns out that it may not have been on the road on those nights.
I eventually went to Deja Vu directly to ask when it would be out on the street, and we finally caught up with it by accident near the Palazzo. We followed the vehicle long enough to get about 100 photos, and about 10 minutes of cumulative video.
Little did I know that it would be my last opportunity to do so.
Carpe Diem and all that jargon.
The images we have now are all we will get, and for that reason alone I will add a few more even though they may seem slightly redundant. What you see now is what you will get … forever.
Deja Vu Strip Club Stripper Truck on The Las Vegas Strip
Deja Vu Strip Club Stripper Truck on The Las Vegas Strip
Deja Vu Strip Club Stripper Truck on The Las Vegas Strip
I really do regret that the majority of visitors will never have the opportunity to see it in person and smile like I did … and like most everyone else who was lucky enough to see it. It was an attraction in and of itself, and I think it was an asset to the Vegas experience.
It’s a damn shame that the greatest marketing idea to hit The Strip in a few years could not last more than a couple of weeks.
Next time, Deja Vu may want to think about sweetening the bribes.
Written by Shlomo Bartokomous on November 13, 2009 at 8:01 pm
I’m sorry I wasn’t out in Las Vegas to enjoy the view while it lasted. I’m surprised that nobody claimed it was a seat belt violation because the girls weren’t strapped down while the vehicle is moving. After all, we’re just looking out for their safety, right? (Ahem)
Written by blueboar on November 13, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Most Nevada politicians are corrupt pole smokers who are afraid of a few pole dancers.
And not the good kind of pole smoker either.
Nope, most politicians are hypocritical pos’s that profess to have great moral character and exhibit great indignation and outrage that such a practice occurs. But would blow you behind the dumpster and let you cum in their face for a chance at a few extra bucks and to stay in power for a while longer.
Sort of like a Harrah’s exec.
Written by Greg on November 14, 2009 at 1:54 am
Were they afraid someone was going to rear end it? Sorry, it had to be said. Kind of disappointed it took this long.
Written by Ed on November 14, 2009 at 4:26 am
Sorry I missed it, and thanks for the effort. Seatbelt argument doesn’t go real far since there are no seatbelts on school buses, etc. Oh, well. Another Vegas tradition bites the dust, for In Las Vegas 10 days is a tradition. I wish they would bring back the Bacchanal.
Written by mike_ch on November 14, 2009 at 10:08 am
People thinking of security are overthinking it. Nevada’s law system is straight outta 1972. Riding in the back of trucks without any seats or seatbelts is still legal for some reason (though no children doing that, please) and the law about making a U-Turn is that you can do it anywhere you goddamn please EXCEPT around the Strip where an ordinance was put on the county level. We even have a law that if a jaywalker gets hit the driver is totally not at fault and there doesn’t even seem to be a problem with hitting and running with the way Metro responds (Metro also won’t respond to a car collision unless someone is hurt.)
I don’t know why our law is so backwards, maybe it has to do with 98.5% of the rest of the state being a useless stretch of land and nuclear bunkers.
All of that said, speaking for once as a tourist (since I’ve been out of state for almost a month and these web sites are my eyes and ears), coverage on these things has bordered on too much. Is there really nothing else going on in town right now?
(on a final note, they call these two clubs “all-nude” and I thought the only club you could stare up a birth canal if you were so inclined is the Palomino Club? Wasn’t that it’s gimmick, per se?)
Written by par88 on November 14, 2009 at 7:18 pm
If one of the big hotel casinos (Wynn, Harrahs, MGM) were to run that same promotion (maybe with showgirls instead of strippers) do you think they would ban it? I doubt it. In fact that pirate ship show “Sirens of Treasure Island” is probably more distracting
Written by tombrokaw on November 20, 2009 at 3:34 pm
sorry but the world sucks too much to let something this awesome continue.
Written by Dawn on January 24, 2010 at 11:12 am
We have the StripperMobile strolling the streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans RIGHT NOW!! It will be here through Mardi Gras!!