Get used to Las Vegas slogan: ‘What Happens Here, Only Happens Here’
On Tuesday night, Steven Tyler cut from Aerosmith’s raucous show at Park Theater for a commercial break.
“When I say, ‘What Happens Here,’ you say, ‘Only Happens Here!’ ” Tyler told the packed house. Tyler asked this, by my count, four times — including once near the end of the show, with onstage cameramen trained on him and the crowd.
The effort, and the legendary rock band, is reportedly in the upcoming campaign to unveil “What Happens Here Only Happens Here” as Las Vegas’s new tourism slogan. This is an upgrade of the city’s “What Happens Here, Stays Here” campaign.
That phrase, the result of a partnership between the LVCVA and R&R Partners, was unleashed on the public in 2003.
Hints peppering social media indicate a full rollout of the new slogan on Jan. 26. LVCVA officials have not responded to inquiries about the updated branding effort, but here is what we know:
Tyler uncorked “What Happens Here, Only Happens Here” to a theater of full-throated fans on Tuesday night. The band’s IG page followed with a message, “You know we oly do ‘Amazing’ things. Which is why we’ve teamed up with #Vegas to create the next big thing for the city … Find out more January 26th, 2020!”
Shania Twain recorded her own promotional clip on Fremont Street and at the Palms last Monday, riding a horse along the FSE promenade as fans observed from behind metal barriers. Twain didn’t specify the reason for all the hubub, but did tag the LVCVA’s @Vegas account on social media, adding, “Vegas is full of secrets … I just learned another Stay tuned 1/26/20.” The @vegas official account responded, “You’re still the one … and one important piece of something BIG we can’t wait to share with everyone on Jan. 26! What’s it all about? Stay tuned!”
Expect this: "What Happens Here, Only Happens Here!" is the new @LVCVA @Vegas ad campaign. That's why @IamStevenT was shouting that callback during tonight's show. @ShaniaTwain @gwenstefani @xtina (among others) have also recorded clips incorporating that slogan. pic.twitter.com/mq5uMiULL5
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) November 20, 2019
Lady Gaga bandleader Brian Newman, too, teased to the Jan. 26 date — he made a quick trip to Las Vegas from New York last week, posting an IG video as he left.
And, those familiar with the campaign report Zappos Theater resident headliners Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera have also participated.
More tangible info about this Vegas messaging is found on Linkedin, oddly enough. One Daphne Baxter, a brand and content strategist with New York agency Idea Loft, has posted in her profile: “More recently, Daphne refreshed Las Vegas’s iconic ‘What Happens Here Stays Here’ positioning to “What Happens Here Only Happens Here” in an effort to inject new intrigue for the brand and broaden its appeal to a more diverse audience.’ “
Consider our interest piqued, and our expectations lofty, for Jan. 26.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram
