This year, I was chosen by 4A’s to pitch a full ad campaign to the Las Vegas Tourism CMO.
The task: Reimagine Las Vegas through a Gen Z lens.
Through self-conducted data, we compiled Gen Z’s “dream destinations” and their reasons why.
For qualitative insight, we asked subjects a fictional character they’d picture enjoying that dream destination.
Then, we asked them a fictional character they’d picture calling their dream destination Las Vegas.
Ouch! Gen Z sees Vegas as their dads’ destination—or in their terms, “cringe.” On vacations, they much prefer international “escapes” from anxiety, immersed in another culture’s authenticity.
Finally, we arrived at our big idea:
By transforming Vegas into another dimension entirely, we reposition its zany history and wild aesthetic into an otherworldly escape in the Mojave Desert with a vintage, surreal edge.
We created these mesmerizing portals and surreal images in Midjourney. (Boy, generating the right AI image is tougher than it looks.)
While the old “What happens in Vegas” ethos clashes with Gen Z’s progressive values,
“The Portal” speaks to their thirst for escape to another world, while evoking their fantasy favorites from Monsters Inc. to Rick & Morty.
Images of the cryptic portal appear across global social platforms.
Magic billboards project livestream cams behind the screens with the portal superimposed atop if floating in midair, just waiting to be entered. (Below.)
“OOO.com” forwards to a custom GPT planner for IYKYK Vegas attractions.
Second-phase strategy included “cringe-offs” conducted between influencers in Vegas, and a partnership with Netflix where tourists can join interactive live versions of their favorite reality shows.
Grab a track suit and gamble in a Squid Game! Take a date from the Love is Blind pods straight into a wedding chapel!
And hey, how’s about closing with a TV spot for good measure?
