Even with all of the hard times Las Vegas has experienced economically in recent months, there are still several super high-end casinos and hotels that are going up. To lure in more people to spend money at these new venues that have about 60% of their revenue set up to be based on things other than gambling. To get people to set foot in their doors they have devised countless methods including special events, direct marketing, loyalty programs and sensational stunts that emphasize having a god time and forgetting all of your worldly cares.

Operated by MGM Mirage, the 2,000-room New York-New York Hotel & Casino has gone through extensive rebranding to build a new no-holds-barred identity that reflects the spit and fire of New York City. They have gone so far in this spirit that their new tagline is “Shut up and play.” This is supposed to echo the sentiment that runs rampant in New York in regard to being entirely and completely unapologetic about how to approach life and people. It is reminding people to let go and just focus on having a good time.

Another push reflecting the different focus in marketing has been a shift to use more outdoor advertising – a whopping 60%. Another 25% goes to radio promotion and the rest is given to the world of print including publications like People magazine. Despite what some people have assumed, this rebranding was not brought on as a response to the shoddy economy. There is a move to capitalize on brands that have the potential to have a strong voice that has the pluck to put its neck out there during rough times.