GAMING, TOURISM & RETAIL EXPERIENCES
The Wins Keep Coming
UPWARD AND OUTWORD: EXPANDING YOUR TRIBAL BRAND
Throughout our 32 years in the gaming industry, we’ve navigated through nearly everything – fiercely competitive markets, incredible growth and physical expansion, even a global pandemic. How did we manage? Ever-evolving strategy, world-class creative and a pinch of good luck.
Although confident in the face of competition, we’ve had prolific opportunities to partner with a variety of broadcast networks and Oklahoma destinations in our tourism and retail efforts.
These are the moments that allow a tribe to share its culture in new, even unconventional, spaces and disperse its influence across a variety of profitable ventures.
Gaming work has touched nearly every capability of our business, including but not limited to:
Naming/logo design
Image advertising
(TV, radio, outdoor, print, digital)
Entertainment venue advertising (on-property signage, outdoor, radio and television)
Digital design and development
Brand style guidelines
Promotional advertising (themes, concepts, naming, graphics, signage, direct mail, digital assets, etc.)
Players Club marketing (member promo concepts, themes, graphics, collateral, outdoor, radio, TV)
HOW WE HELPED GROW THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CASINO
IT ALL STARTED WITH A BIG TENT
We’re proud to be the agency of record for not just the world’s biggest casino, but a large and growing portfolio of gaming and entertainment properties in Oklahoma and Texas. But when our work first started back in 2004, it was a much different picture.
While the Chickasaw Nation’s WinStar Casino beckoned players from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, it was little more than a big tent on the side of the highway. The Nation had a big vision, though, and they called on us to make it real.
The Issue
WinStar Casino’s location promised something better even closer to home, but the competitive gaming environment was red hot.
Solution
We focused on winning the DFW market, selling gamers used to driving all the way to Shreveport on the idea that there was something even better much closer, across the Red River. Soon enough, I-35 northbound was clogged with gamers, and shortly after, a surge of players from around the region. This, and the recent expansion of the Oklahoma tribal gaming compact, ignited incredible opportunities for growth and expansion, both for the property and the brand itself.
The number of games grew into the thousands. Massive statues and fountains rose from the now mile-long gaming floor, complete with eight themed gaming plazas named after famous cities around the world. WinStar World Casino & Resort was born, and it was just the beginning. Hotel towers were added, one by one. A spectacular golf course wound its way through what was first 18 and now 36 championship holes. The world’s top entertainers have graced the stage of the state-of-the-art Global Event Center. In this glittering environment, major branded restaurants rub shoulders with the biggest names and brands in sports and entertainment.
Results
Today, thanks to visionary Chickasaw leaders, that friendly bingo hall has transformed into the World’s Biggest Casino. And our marketing strategy has grown right along with it, constantly evolving to match the growing attractions and opportunities.
WinStar World Casino & Resort Reopening
WinStar World Casino & Resort: Staying Awake
Day Tripper: WinStar World Casino & Resort
Let the Good Times Roll: WinStar World Casino & Resort
OUR WORLD-CLASS RECORD WITH GAMING BRANDS
LAUNCHING A NEW CASINO IN A CROWDED MARKET
We know to capture attention in a fierce market, you must be bold. And keeping that attention requires ever-changing strategy.
Our journey with Riverwind Casino began in 2005 when another competitor was holding the entire market’s attention. That was until we got everyone buzzing about our ten different outdoor messages, each with absolutely no mention of the brand. It was a calculated attempt to spark intrigue, and with the addition of hot air balloons, airplane banners and street performers, we had completely stolen the spotlight.
Competition in the gaming market only continued to heat up, to which we adapted with new strategic directions throughout our 16+ years with Riverwind Casino. Once we grabbed the No. 1 spot a decade ago, we moved fast to solidify the position. Our “Simply the Best” strategy reinforced what most Oklahoma City gamers already knew: no other local property could match its high-end amenities, sought-after entertainment and diverse gaming options.
MARKETING A NO-FRILLS CASINO
Not every gamer wants all the bells and whistles. In fact, many believe that the fancier the casino, the smaller the payouts.
So when we took over the marketing strategy for the Chickasaw Nation’s Newcastle Casino in 2010, we found a perfect niche: the “it” destination for “reel” gamers seeking a no-frills, “just win” experience. In the 11+ years since, this strategy has unfolded across numerous iterations and mediums, turning this previously out-of-the-way casino into a true cornerstone of the Nation’s gaming portfolio.
COMING BACK STRONGER THAN EVER
Back in 1987, Remington Park, the most expensive horse track at the time, was built in Oklahoma City. We matched that swagger with innovative and aggressive “Let Your Heart Race” marketing efforts that didn’t just put the park on the map but positioned it as one of the industry’s shining destinations.
Flash forward to new ownership by the Chickasaw Nation in 2009, and we are brought back to revamp and reintroduce the brand. So we returned with a new twist on an old favorite: “Let Your Heart Race … Again.” In our second run as Remington Park’s marketing partner, we’ve driven significant increases in total wagering on racing.
TV NETWORK BREATHES CULTURE INTO TOURISM
Oklahoma is brimming with natural beauty and signature attractions. We saw an opportunity for the Chickasaw Nation to showcase their flourishing home and promote the state as a rewarding travel destination. Our capabilities in developing digital platforms proved to be a great match for this vision.
OklaVision.tv eventually found its way onto live television via Cox Communications simulcast statewide. The network hosted thousands of videos and produced a live show every weekday, and many weekends, for over five years.
SIGNATURE TOURISM BRAND TAKES OFF
When the state of Oklahoma cut its tourism marketing budget, the Chickasaw Nation felt a responsibility to fill the void. Together with their visionary leadership, we rebranded the stretch of I-35 from the Texas border all the way to Oklahoma City as “Adventure Road.”
Adventure Road is a multi-faceted marketing campaign to not only increase visits to Chickasaw properties but also to cultivate a coalition of other non-Chickasaw tourism destinations with the view that a rising tide lifts all boats.
AM solicited all the non-Chickasaw tourism partners, developed the website, conducted research and developed traditional and digital materials for this initiative.
Today, Adventure Road has a substantial email subscriber database and following on social media, due in part to its television, radio, print, outdoor, online video efforts, and some extraordinary summer giveaways that excite and incentivize regional travelers to explore Oklahoma.