TNT, SI Promote Vegas, Vegas

Turner will team with co-owned Sports Illustrated and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority  (LVCVA) agency R&R Partners ("What happens here, stays here") to promote its coverage of the NBC All-Star Game in Houston (Feb. 17-19) and the 2007 game in Las Vegas, which TNT is also covering. And speaking of covers, the LVCVA plans to launch some promo spots to help visitors prepare for a visit to the 2007 game by giving them a fake identity.

The All-Star promotion will hawk the game and Vegas, next year's game site, including a video tour of Las Vegas hot spots by Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, led by Molly Sims from TNT's off-NBC drama, Las Vegas, as well as a "special" episode of Las Vegas Feb. 19. The LVCVA will also be presenting sponsor of TNT's broadband show, Kenny and Charles Sound-Off, for the rest of the year.

R&R will take the opportunity to launch the next phase--"Be Anyone"--in its "Stays in Vegas" campaign--LVCVA has a number of 30 second spots on TNT during the weekend coverage of the event. In what sounds like a cop's nightmare, the R&R element is described this way.

"R&R Partners is also launching “Be Anyone,” it’s first new spot for 2006 in the “What happens here, stays here” campaign series for the LVCVA, plus a highly interactive “Be Anyone” microsite and fantasy sweepstakes, accessible through www.VisitLasVegas.com.
"Through the microsite, visitors can literally “be anyone” by generating their Las Vegas alias, complete with new name, city of origin, occupation and corresponding URL and business cards. The “Be Anyone” sweepstakes will grant one lucky winner their fantasy persona itinerary on a lavish trip to Las Vegas."
It is unclear how realistic the ID's will be.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.