Ad firm gets international award for latest Vegas campaign

By Richard N. Velotta (contact)

Thursday, July 8, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

R&R Partners brainstorming meeting

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R&R Partners, the Las Vegas-based advertising agency contracted to produce print and television ads for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the creators of the famed “What happens here, stays here” campaign, has won national and international recognition for some of its latest work.

R&R won a Bronze Cannes Lion in the Travel, Transport and Tourism category in the 57th annual Cannes Lion International Advertising Festival for its “ChinChilli Day” TV ad spot in Las Vegas’ “What’s Your Excuse?” campaign.

The ad depicts people coming up with zany excuses to visit Las Vegas. The two-part ChinChilli Day ads show people approaching their bosses for a day off to commemorate a small village quelling an uprising of rowdy chinchillas.

The Bronze Cannes Lion awards are presented annually in Cannes, France, the seacoast home of the famed film festival.

The competition drew 25,000 entries from 8,000 people in 90 countries. Winning companies receive the Lion trophy, which honors the most creative film, film craft, print, outdoor, interactive, radio, design, sales promotion, activation and integrated advertising ideas.

Las Vegas was the only destination recognized in this year’s awards, which were announced June 27.

Other companies winning awards included Microsoft, Virgin Atlantic, McDonald’s, the National Football League, Levi’s, Heineken Dos Equis Beer, Coke Zero, Volkswagen Sweden, Nike Japan and Unilever.

Earlier in the month, the American Advertising Federation announced that R&R and the LVCVA won top awards in four national categories for the “What’s Your Excuse?” and “What happens here, stays here” campaigns.

In a June 12 event in Orlando, the non-profit industry association announced the selection of R&R and LVCVA campaigns from among 60,000 entries through its 200 advertising clubs and 15 districts. The ads beat out productions from Intel, United Airlines, American Honda, Qwest Communications and T-Mobile.

R&R won two gold and two silver ADDY Awards for national television campaigns, winning golds for “What happens here, stays here” with its “Reason” ad and its “Reading” ad. The silver awards were the “What happens here…” ads for “What happens in blank” and for the “What’s Your Excuse?” campaign.

The “Reason” ad depicts a large wedding at which a minister asks if there is any reason why the two people should not be married and participants exchange sheepish glances, but remain silent.

The “Reading” ad includes a videotaped reading of a will at which the deceased gives the largest inheritance to a concierge.

Both are presented in the edgy “What happens here, stays here” style that shows no gambling or resorts but leaves the viewer to read between the lines about the Las Vegas experience.

“I think you kind of need to go that way for Vegas because we’re talking about adult freedom and people having fun,” said Arnie DiGeorge, executive creative director for R&R and a part of the team that developed the award-winning ads. “The tone pretty much has that familiar feel.”

DiGeorge said because the LVCVA is R&R’s largest account, the agency devotes considerable resources to it with a team of more than 20 people brainstorming ideas for new ads. On the “ChinChilli Day” ad, DiGeorge said, one team member was meeting with some MGM International Resorts officials who were commiserating over the lack of traffic in the early days of the recession.

“One of the media guys said, ‘I wish people had an excuse to stay an extra day on Monday.’ We picked up on it and we sent some of the team in that direction on the ChinChilli Day. We said, ‘Wow, that’s interesting and could be fun.’ It’s not about whether you like it or not like it, but how it makes people react,” he said.

DiGeorge said R&R is now in a research mode to determine what direction ads will go next. He said he doesn’t expect there would be any new campaigns until at least August.

He said it was gratifying for advertising peers to recognize the work of the company and for the LVCVA to be in the global spotlight for the Bronze Cannes Lion recognition.

“Las Vegas sets the standard for destination marketing and this recognition is further evidence,” said Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the LVCVA in a release announcing the awards.

“These campaigns are successful because they connect emotionally with the consumer and reflect the unique travel experience that only Las Vegas can offer,” she said. “Our working relationship with R&R Partners continues to pay dividends.”