5 cheesy Las Vegas commercials of the past — VIDEO
Las Vegas ad campaigns are typically memorable, and rarely do they sell the city short. If they were just plain bad ads, it was probably because they’re outdated, which is the case with almost every Las Vegas ad after five years.
Recently, LasVegas.com revived their “What happens here, stays here,” campaign with a little help from Imagine Dragons, but that wasn’t always the slogan.
Here are five cheesy Las Vegas commercials from the past:
1. Wet ‘N Wild
This isn’t for Las Vegas proper, but those who lived in the valley in the 1990s will probably remember this 1995 Wet ‘N Wild commercial (when it was still on the north end of the Strip) that looks like it was inspired by every commercial from the 1980s.
2. The American Way to Play
This commercial series from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority ran with the slogan — and song that will be stuck in your head after watching this — “The American way to play.” The ads had some major star power, but nothing says “1980s” more than opening with a woman wearing an opaque visor.
3. The American Way to Play (Part 2)
Because now we can have saxophone, “Mr. Las Vegas” with a horse AND a very young Jay Leno.
4. Wynn Las Vegas
This commercial, which premiered during the 2005 Super Bowl (and is, honestly, just more ridiculous than it is cheesy), will never be forgotten. We can’t really figure out why this is burned into our memory, but in case you’re still wondering, that’s really him up there.
5. Early 1990’s Las Vegas
Here’s a two-for-one from a series that asked, “Where in the world would you go if there were no Las Vegas?” Beyond the MGM lion graphic, no-longer-there luscious on-Strip golf courses and multiple attractions that are long gone, a little amusing bit is in the first commercial when it notes “steppin’ out,” which has taken on a different meaning in the last few decades.
Oh, but there’s still sax.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva
