Office-bound workers who think “Win Zip” is a computer program for opening e-mail should check out the new campaign from Pala Casino. The ads explain that winning zip i.e., by not gambling is a winning strategy for having a good time at a casino.
“The Southern California market is saturated with casino advertising all saying the same thing over and over again best property, Las Vegas-style gaming, looser slots, better odds, be a winner,” said Jerry Turk, chief executive officer at Pala Casino Spa & Resort. “We wanted to use humor in a contrary way to deliver our message to break through the clutter.”
The $7 million campaign from M & C; Saatchi North America in Los Angeles features Hoyt Monroe, a fictional cigar-smoking former gambler who has devised guaranteed methods for not winning money. The concept is simple: Stay out of the casino and utilize Pala’s other great amenities. However, Hoyt said “the guarantee does not apply if you gamble in any way at Pala.”
Pala Casino is located in Northern San Diego County, but the ads will run during news and late-night talk on Los Angeles TV stations. Radio spots will air on L.A. news, sports and oldies stations.
The contrarian message strategy reflects advertisers’ increasing need to address the informational overload among consumers. According to a 2004 Yankelovich study, 61 percent of consumers felt the number of ads was out of control and 70 percent said “they tune out advertising more than they did just a few years ago.”
To stay ahead of the crowd, “Pala was willing to go where no other casino has gone before with a provocative, funny and brutally simple idea,” said Huw Griffith, L.A.-based chief executive of M & C; North America.
Radio Promotes Radio
The medium truly is the message in a new series of ads from the Southern California Broadcasters Association. The radio-only campaign, targeting business owners and marketers, promotes radio as a relevant advertising vehicle.
“The average person in Los Angeles spends over three hours every single day listening to their favorite radio stations,” according to SCBA President Mary Beth Garber. “It’s unfortunate that some advertisers are so focused on jumping on the new media train that they sometimes forget about using the media that dominate a consumer’s day.”
Garber believes the Internet, rather than competing with radio, makes it more relevant because listeners can stream a station’s signal into their computer.
The campaign came from Blaine Parker, a creative director at Salem Communications. Other contributors were Rob Frazier at KLSX-FM (97.1) and Dan Granger from the L.A. office of Clear Channel Communications. A Spanish-language campaign is still in development.
“Of course, the medium we are using to get this message across is the one we believe is most capable of delivering the message most effectively local radio,” Garber stated.
Eastside Renaissance
New Angeles, a monthly glossy magazine, will target upscale readers in an eastern swath running from Hollywood through Silver Lake and Los Feliz into downtown L.A. and beyond. It will debut with a June edition shipping 30,000 copies.
The new publication “will celebrate the intellectual and cultural ‘renaissance’ of L.A.’s Eastside,” according to Southland Publishing Inc., the company behind the venture. “These communities are the future of arts, entertainment and culture in Los Angeles.”
Southland already owns the alternative weeklies CityBeat, ValleyBeat, Pasadena Weekly, VC Reporter (Ventura County) and Inland Empire Weekly. It also has four monthly lifestyle magazines: Arroyo, Verdugo, Ventana and Southern California Life After 50.
“We have a direct understanding of the local media market, and there seemed to be a need for an affordable yet upscale print ad opportunity on the Eastside,” said Charles Gerencser, publisher. “Consumer magazines tend to be too expensive for small and medium-sized businesses. While West Los Angeles has a plethora of local lifestyle magazines the Eastside has none.”
The company will crib talent from its existing properties for the New Angeles launch. Nikki Bazar, current editor of Verdugo Monthly, will become the editor of New Angeles. The production team that produces CityBeat and ValleyBeat newspapers will also work on New Angeles.
There will be 17,500 copies for direct mail to households with an average household income of $100,000 or more The remaining 12,500 copies will be targeted to select downtown residents. In addition, there will be some local distribution in restaurants and retail stores.
Staff reporter Joel Russell can be reached at
[email protected]
, or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 237.
