Everything. It shows the power of a smart positioning strategy and execution. It was Las Vegas’ great advertising campaign that got him in this naked trouble after all, right?
Now while I may be a bit tongue-in-cheek about this, you have to wonder if the Prince didn’t take Las Vegas’ great brand positioning of “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” to heart.
The positioning of Vegas as a place to party and do whatever you want, while none of the said partying details will every leave Vegas, is brilliant. For a city that decided, after a failed run at becoming a family destination, to embrace its “sin city” reputation was smart; the Advertising and brand positioning to support that strategy was smart. Their tagline of “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” was a creatively brilliant execution that put a wonderful twist on its long-standing reputation of being a sin city. It’s as if Vegas was answering the age old question of, “If a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, did it really fall?” Their advertising agency answered that question with a resounding “No!”
Going back to Prince Harry now, do you think maybe he believed those magical sound-dampening walls of Vegas were up around him? He’s must have figured he was in Vegas and nobody outside of Vegas would hear what was happening there. What else would explain a dignified English Prince running around with his pants down? Not just down, but completely off and probably dangling from a balcony railing. Was it the advertising strategy that made him do it? Well, emotionally allowed him to do it. It was the power of branding that had this young man believe he could go spend lots and lots of money in Vegas to be as naughty as he wanted without anyone knowing. It was an emotional decision because it certainly wasn’t rational or logical. But that’s when advertising and branding work best—when it’s playing to people’s emotions.
Hats off to Las Vegas, their advertising agency and the wonderful positioning which led to a prince getting fleeced of his money and dignity.
