With the influx of sports opportunities in Las Vegas, tourism authorities are trying to capitalize on it to bring more visitors to the area.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is embarking on the next phase of its Greatest Arena on Earth advertising campaign focusing not only on major sporting events like the Raiders and UFC, but also on other amenities that southern Nevada has to offer.
“Sidelines”, an upcoming advertising concept created by R&R Partners on behalf of LVCVA, will focus on the region’s professional arenas, restaurants and high-end clubs. The purpose of the spot is to prove that the destination offers unsurpassed sports and entertainment experiences.
“We know that sports are a huge draw for visitors to Las Vegas, and our research clearly shows that fans are drawn to the unique experience of watching their home teams play here,” said Kate Wik, LVCVA spokeswoman. “We hope this ad draws a new audience that can see firsthand that there is no on-field spectator in Vegas.”
The attraction was seen firsthand on September 26, when over 125,000 fans in the Southern Nevada region played live sports between four events: the Raiders-Miami Dolphins game at Allegiant Stadium; the South Point 400 NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; the season opener for the Golden Knights in the T-Mobile Arena; and the Las Vegas Aviators game at the Las Vegas Ballpark.
The “Sidelines” ad is part of a larger sports campaign with multiple ads and integrated media placements featuring Jimmy Kimmel Live, iHeartRadio, Turner Sports, theScore, Univision and more. The ad will air later this year or early next year on television networks including FOX, ESPN and NBC / NBC Sports.
The campaign will also promote sporting events in Las Vegas.
73 percent of US sports fans said, according to a targeted sports travel research survey conducted by Heart + Mind Strategies on behalf of LVCVA in August, live sports in Las Vegas add a new dimension to visiting the area. In addition, 56 percent of respondents said that playing live sports in Las Vegas is a reason to plan an additional visit and / or extend a trip to the destination.
“Only Vegas can tell a story where excitement, energy and unexpected moments don’t just happen on the field and don’t end when the time is up,” said Billy Vassiliadis, CEO of R&R Partners. “With this campaign we are immersing the viewer in a sporting experience that they can only get in the ‘largest arena in the world’.”
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.
