Gaming // Lottery
Experience: Southland Casino • Finger Lakes Casino • Wind Creek Chicago Southland Casino • Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
Setting course for a multi-decade winning streak.
For those in the Memphis area, the casino wars between Tunica and Southland are legendary. As the third-largest casino-gambling destination in the US at the time of this work, Tunica had properties owned by major players like Caesars, MGM, and Harrah’s. Meanwhile, Southland was perceived as an aging dog track in West Memphis. This work helped change that.
Over a four-year span, Southland doubled its visitors and revenue. It also continued to expand, adding three new restaurants and more floor space. The edgy creative work was featured as the lead story on local Memphis evening news (video below), and it helped Southland neutralize the competition in Tunica. Southland’s former GM even cited on local TV that the advertising was the main driver for his property’s growth.
With responsibilities for overall brand strategy, identity, positioning, and execution of all major campaigns, these numerous multimedia rebranding initiatives not only delivered a punishing blow to Tunica, but also helped Southland find their voice. And it put the casino on a winning streak that continues to this day.
The unprecedented return has led parent company Delaware North – one of the largest privately-owned-and-operated hospitality and entertainment companies in the world – to invest heavily in upgrading and expanding Southland’s facilities, amenities, and gaming offerings. Today, Southland is the largest casino in the area and in the state of Arkansas.
Roles: strategy, copywriting, creative direction, production; developed with Archer-Memphis
ABC, Fox News Memphis
Ads that put the odds in your favor.
To sharpen the emotional focus of the ASL “This is Winning” campaign, a human element was added—highlighting real winners and real impact across Arkansas. The branded truck traveled the state to interview real winners and generate buzz with the tagline, “Got your ticket?” Plus, engaging television and radio ads were created to attract current and prospective players for new monthly scratch-off tickets.
Roles: copywriting, audio production; developed with CJRW-Little Rock
Top Golf Digital Billboard