Sin city? Don't go there

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has used a "Vegas Stories" advertising campaign for the past year or so. With the tag line "what happens here, stays here," the TV spots include a woman arousing herself in a limo, a conventioneer getting a quickie wedding, and a group of hung-over partiers wondering what happened to a friend who was "missing in action" (i.e., probably hooked up). This is the image that Las Vegas presents to the public, and it's all good.
But don't call Las Vegas Sin City. from reviewjournal.com:

When it comes to promoting the state's tourism industry, the phrase "Sin City" is simply too taboo for Manny Cortez.

As president and chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Cortez has spent much of 2003 championing his organization's controversial but successful "Vegas Stories" advertising campaign.

Cortez took exception when the term "Sin City" was used to describe Las Vegas as part of a new statewide tourism campaign previewed at Monday's Nevada Commission on Tourism board meeting at Caesars Palace.

"I've lived here for 50 years and have sold this city for 40, and I can say we've never used that kind of terminology in our ads," said Cortez, who is also a commissioner for the nine-member state tourism board. "You don't use that phrase."

Cortez's protest was supported by fellow board member Irwin Kishner, who added "a certain element of the population is not quite in favor of making Las Vegas a sin city."

Bruce Bommarito, the commission's executive director, said his staff will take steps to address the issue in future ads.

The flap began when Teri Gibson, an account executive with DRGM Advertising & Public Relations, showed the board samples of a current print campaign designed to lure more outdoor enthusiasts to the state. One print ad now in circulation called for a "Guy's Week Out" that included several days spent in the outdoors, or "God's country," followed by a "Sin City chaser."

Earlier in the meeting, DRGM Vice President Jennifer Evans and others said the spots were developed using extensive consumer research. After spotting the phrase "Sin City," Cortez asked members of the DRGM delegation if their research methods led them to use a term his organization staunchly avoids when promoting Las Vegas.

Once challenged, Gibson attempted to compare her company's "Nevada, Wide Open" ads to claims made in the convention authority's $58 million "Vegas Stories" campaign, a call Cortez rebutted by stating his group's spots only hint at risqué activities.

FULL STORY

We can look forward to even more "Vegas stories" in the future. As a Las Vegas resident, I consistently try to help visitors have their own unique Vegas stories whenever I can.
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posted by Dave at 11:53 AM