BEHIND THE SCENES
Strategy. Creative Concepts. Voice & Tone Logo. Photography.
Harrah’s Gulf Coast launched the “Always Harrahs” campaign a few months prior, and it proved highly successful. It leveraged the brand promise of exceptional customer service, supported by a team where more than 100 employees had 25 years or more of experience at the property. Guests and employees often knew each other by first and last name, along with birthdays and personal preferences.
Harrah’s New Orleans needed a campaign that reflected its own identity, market, audience, and brand promise. It is a destination defined by heritage, music, food, and a vibrant city culture.
Every project begins with a detailed brief outlining goals, budget, data, regional insights, and launch timelines. Once the creative team is assembled, the process moves into collaborative brainstorming sessions. We use techniques such as brainwriting, word association, and mind mapping, supported by extensive use of sticky notes to capture ideas at scale.
These ideas are then grouped, combined, and expanded alongside visual references. Magazines, prints, photography, and other inspiration help connect language to imagery, building a shared visual direction. Music and sound are introduced to further shape tone and emotion, along with personal perceptions and narrative cues. This is where voice, mood, and storytelling begin to take form.
Concept 1
PLAYTIME
You experience a unique journey every time you come to New Orleans. Your journey starts with Harrah’s New Orleans. We capture an authentic moment and time in that journey. A snapshot of that perfect “moment”. Live, let loose, relax and unwind.
Concept 2
WHAT PLAY (LOOKS) LIKE
Images from around the city show visitors celebrating the joy of life by partaking in signature Big Easy experiences, communicating that Harrah’s is an integral part of the fun found in America’s most Interesting city. Words would interchange to match the visual story, Play, Sounds, Tastes.
Concept 3
PLAY STARTS HERE
Concept 3b
WE ARE NOLA
Harrah’s is woven into New Orleans as much as the city is intertwined with us. Our location in the heart of the city has streetcars rolling by, weekend parades in the casino, an outdoor gaming courtyard, authentic restaurants serving dishes steeped in the city’s rich culinary history.
The Play Starts here logo and tagline was created to compliment the Harrah’s brand message “Come Out And Play”. Changing the tagline from “Play Starts Here” to “We Are NOLA” shifts the focus from Harrah’s to the city of New Orleans strengthening the connection between the brand and the city. The iconic fleur-de-lis was integrated with the logo to visually tie it to New Orleans.
Attracting the New Orleans tourist that Harrah’s wanted to reach demands photography that is relevant, authentic and engaging.
Selecting the photographer/videographer that best aligns with the project is key. Budget, timelines, usage rights, talent, musicians, photos and shot locations can be negotiated and discussed. This is done in tandem to the project revisions and approvals. We narrowed it down and Naoto was the Studio’s recommendation.
Photography Execution Deck
• Photo Direction • Schedule • Team • Location Details • Talent • Musicians • Rental and Permits • Wardrobe • Day to Day • Food Styling • Props • Contacts
