What happened in Vegas has now prompted a campaign to draw crowds back

Its 'Fabulous' campaign to revive falling tourist numbers has been facing backlash on social media, with many saying Las Vegas still doesn't get it

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority last week launched a new global campaign promoting Las Vegas, the “sports and entertainment capital of the world”, as “fabulous.” A dip in tourism numbers fuelled online speculation that Las Vegas was pricing itself out of the market: Slower tourism trends resulted in a 12 per cent year-over-year decrease in visitors to Las Vegas, with the city welcoming just 3.1 million in July, setting off alarm bells. Hence an urgent need was felt to bolster numbers through stimulation by an advertising campaign. 

The just released campaign plays upon the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign that greets visitors as they enter the city. The ad features an office worker wishing for a break from the usual day-to-day doldrums. She hears a siren song from Las Vegas, enticing her to break free from the monotony and enter a world of fabulousness. Surrounded by the neon lights that provided inspiration for the campaign, she encounters iconic locations that have made Las Vegas famous, including Circus Circus Hotel & Casino, Fremont Street Experience, The Orleans Hotel & Casino, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas and many more. This is Vegas’ first truly large campaign in nearly two decades. 

The title track of the new campaign, “Welcome to Fabulous,” comes to life through the vocals of Grammy Award-winning singer Eryn Allen Kane and has been produced by Grammy Award-nominated producer and songwriter Dave Sitek. No efforts have been spared. 

Since 1959, the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign has served as a beacon to more than 1.5 billion visitors. What began as a greeting has grown into a globally recognised motto spanning decades and transcending languages and cultures. The “fabulous” campaign is a recommitment to the extraordinary spirit of Las Vegas, intended to reaffirm that unmatched hospitality and fabulous experiences are not trends, but timeless promises that embody the city’s glamour, vitality, and sense of escape. And, “Fabulous” isn’t just a word on a sign — it’s Vegas’ DNA, its identity, and its enduring brand promise. 

The famous slogan “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” was originally written to give a spark to the town’s “image of adult freedom” by Jason Hoff and Jeff Candido, who worked at ad agency R&R Partners. It was then slightly modified. When the “What Happens Here, Stays Here” ads for Las Vegas debuted in February 2003, they became an almost instant “cultural phenomenon.” The phrase was referenced by numerous pop culture mainstays, including Saturday Night Live, the Academy Awards, and the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame. In fact, two years after the campaign debuted, the then First Lady, Laura Bush, used the tagline in a discussion with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show, making it even more famous. The slogan became the name of the 2008 American comedy What Happens in Vegas. It also inspired a song of the same name by Usher, as well as the film series The Hangover. Twenty years later, however, a refresh has been mounted on Brand Las Vegas. 

According to 2024 statistics, Las Vegas had 41.7 million visitors, with about 6 million going there to attend conventions and conferences. This accounted for direct visitor spending of $55.1 billion, making for an overall economic impact of $87.7 billion. So, there’s a lot at stake — especially with hotel occupancy declining year-on-year by 7.6 per cent in July.

 

In 2018, the Sin City ran the “Only Vegas” campaign with cultural storylines that reinforced the iconic brand’s identity as the paramount purveyor of adult freedom and encouraged visitors to embrace only-in-Vegas moments of self-truth. During the 2024 NFL Super Bowl, which Vegas was hosting, the city ran the “Excessive Celebration” campaign. The promotion’s music video was viewed an incredible 114 million times. So, constant marketing efforts have been ongoing.

 

The “Fabulous” campaign, meanwhile, has been facing extreme backlash on social media and is being labelled “aggressively terrible”.  Las Vegas still doesn’t get it, most say. Netizens predominantly agreed with the sentiment that the campaign does not address real issues that affect how Las Vegas, as a tourism destination, is perceived: Advertising can’t overcome a product problem until it fixes the No 1 issue — out-of-control pricing on everything. Price gouging is said to be the biggest deterrent for tourists coming to Vegas.

 

Now to the question: “Vegas over?” Well, 10 years ago blackjack tables along the Strip shifted from a 3:2 payout to 6:5 odds. For every $100 bet, earnings dropped from $150 to only $120. Vegas needs to fix that too. An ad campaign alone can’t help.

 

The author is chairman of Rediffusion