Caesars Atlantic City — “What Else Is New?”

If you’ve never been to Atlantic City, the gambling mecca of the East Coast…it’s not a super nice place! And Caesars’ trifecta of casinos in particular, which are among the town’s most prominent but oldest still standing, had earned a reputation for being in rough shape. But after investing nearly a half a billion dollars in renovations and amenities, the client was ready to shed that label and show travelers they could compete with the more modern resorts. In short, they wanted people to hear about the updates and wonder, “What Else Is New?”

The OOH ad campaign should target Philly- and NYC-area residents who would already consider A.C. in their travel plans, as well as “experience enthusiasts” who are always seeking out the latest and greatest adventures. Above all, though, it should persuade people that the newly updated Caesars properties are now every bit as comfortable and fun as the city’s top resorts.

Pitch development

When somebody has a great experience, they can’t wait to tell other people about it — especially when they’re traveling. Whether we rave about it after we get home or we want the whole world to know we’re having the time of our life right now, we’re just dying for friends or family to ask, “What else is new?” Because when you stay at one of Caesars’ casinos and properties, the answer nowadays is, “The entire experience.”

This series of ads would take the form of text message conversations where the resort guest is talking about a new or updated experience or amenity on the property, and their friend or family member is expressing their surprise at how cool, fun, and amazing it looks. This meets the consumer where they are in terms of their current perception of the properties while simultaneously a simple-yet-relatable story that shares what’s changed for the better. It then finishes with the What Else Is New? tagline, indicating there’s a lot more where this came from.

Billboards

Here are some (very) rough mock-ups. The idea lacked support internally — unfortunately, most of the team working on this new business pitch was from out of the area or never spent time in A.C., so the creative direction took more of a “luxury” approach, and for the uninitiated, luxury is not one of the first words that comes to mind when one thinks about Atlantic City! This work never reached the client, and the agency did not advance to the second round of bids.