Caesars Palace Say Live Famously
In one shot, a handsome man balances a cigar in his hand as he contemplates his winnings at the blackjack table. Nearby, a beautiful blonde looks on admiringly. Small type identifies the winner as “Julius I, 2:15 a.m. 2003 A.D.” The headline reads: “Invest where you get the most interest.”
In a second photograph, three attractive women in the midst of a serious girls` night out surround a roulette wheel, armed with cocktails and cigarettes. Their identities are noted in small text: “The Muses, 11:15 p.m. 2003 A.D.” The headline reads: “What Rat Pack?”
In a third image, a woman, off camera, feeds an olive from her Martini to a man with tousled hair who unleashed his tie several hours earlier. The small text names him: “Caesar, 12:15 a.m. 2003 A.D.” The headline says, “Ah, Nothing Starts the Day Like a Good Breakfast.”
The three images are among those featured in a new brand advertising campaign for Caesars Palace, the best known casino resort in the world. Debuting this month, the campaign marks the beginning of an aggressive, integrated marketing program intended to support the continuing physical renaissance of the Park Place Entertainment Corporation property with a new public image.
“Caesars Palace is about life on top and life on the edge,” said Caesars Palace President Mark Juliano. “From the day that it opened, the Palace has attracted millions of guests who come to experience the best entertainment, the finest dining, the most enticing shopping - and of course the most exciting gaming anywhere.
“Our new ad campaign and its `Live Famously` tag line are intended to deliver a simple and compelling message: Caesars Palace once again is the most exciting place to experience all that Las Vegas has to offer,” Juliano said.
“With a host of new attractions already open or under construction, now is exactly the right time to launch this campaign,” Juliano added.
The physical renaissance of Caesars Palace attracted worldwide attention this Spring with the debut of the 4,100-seat Colosseum, one of the most spectacular new theaters in North America. In addition to hosting 200 performances a year of “A New Day….,” a theatrical spectacular starring Celine Dion, the state-of-the art venue also has been the setting for sell-out performances by Jerry Seinfeld, Mariah Carey and Tim McGraw.
In addition to the Colosseum, Caesars Palace recently launched “Bradley Ogden,” the first restaurant opened outside California by its namesake celebrity chef. The resort also has announced plans to bring to Las Vegas the first “Mesa Grill” outside of New York. “Mesa Grill” creator and chef Bobby Flay is widely known for this Food Network television programs and his appearances on the CBS “Early Show.”
Beginning later this year, Caesars Palace will inaugurate other new attractions, including the new East Casino connector, which will provide a sweeping new gateway to The Colosseum and the Forum Casino from the resort`s historic porte cochere; The Roman Plaza, a new welcome and entertainment center to be situated at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road; and a 175,000-square foot expansion of The Forum Shops at Caesars, already one of the highest-yielding retail spaces in North America.
The “Live Famously” campaign was created by R&R Partners of Las Vegas. “Live Famously” debuts with September print placements in upscale consumer feeder market magazines, including LA Confidential, Angeleno, Gotham, Hamptons and Chicago Social, as well as travel industry and meeting publications. The campaign will expand to include direct marketing, Internet and outdoor advertising, and, in late 2004, television.
“R&R presented a number of great concepts for the campaign,” said Park Place Senior Vice President for Marketing Steven N. Rosen. “As our team reviewed them, we decided the right approach was to promote the Caesars experience. People who come to Caesars for the experience will see the all the new products we have to offer. But it`s the desire for the Caesars experience that will make them want to come in the first place.”
The togas, chariots and laurel wreaths of past Caesars Palace campaigns are gone. But the brand identity is unmistakable. Print executions feature a series of designs depicting a modern-day party experience - a wry interpretation of contemporary “gods” and “goddesses” at play in their palace of pleasure.
“We asked ourselves what Julius Caesar would do if he were alive today, and the answer was that he`d be partying at Caesars Palace,” said Mary Ann Mele, president and chief strategy officer at R&R. “The concept of contemporary royalty led us to the experiences of today`s celebrities. This was the inspiration for our creative team, as they captured the larger-than-life resort experience that is unmistakably Caesars.”
The campaign was based on research undertaken by Morpace International Market Research and Consulting for Caesars executives. Designed to identify the ideal brand positioning and the ideal customer for Caesars Palace, the study produced a large target base of current and potential customers - successful people who enjoy gaming, dining and entertainment on a grand scale and who expect an elevated experience in both service and accommodations.
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