Connecticut: Mohegan Sun launches new campaign seeking to capture the casino's environment

Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun casino has released a new marketing campaign called “All In For Mohegan”, which intends to convey "the feel" of being at the casino and resort. A 30-second commercial depicts casino-goers celebrating in the property’s new sports book; dining at Tao’s restaurant; lounging at the poolside; bowling; dancing; as well as gambling. 

The campaign was first unveiled last month, with a 30-second commercial that aired during the NBA Finals on ABC and during the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals on ESPN. It has also been disseminated on billboards, social media and radio, as well as via digital advertising and onsite promotions.   

Through this campaign, the company is targeting New York City, northern New Jersey and New England, which are all within driving distance from southeastern Connecticut. Hatched prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the marketing campaign was kept on ice during the pandemic, thus making this Mohegan Sun’s first new campaign in years. 

“We decided it was time to refresh our message. Our previous campaign demonstrated all the things you could do here. Our biggest challenge was getting the message out that we’re not just a casino," said George Galinsky, the casino’s senior vice president for marketing communications, according to The Day. "You don’t need to be a gamer."

TAXI, the ad agency Mohegan Sun hired to develop the new campaign, was also responsible for “Full of Life”, the casino’s previous campaign. Its other clients include Volkswagen, Audi, Applegate, Kraft Heinz, Colgate-Palmolive and more. 

Galinsky also said that advertising that attempts to capture a casino’s environment is something new in the industry. He also added that research indicated Mohegan Sun’s “brick-and-mortar audience” has not changed significantly since the pandemic hit business.  

However, Connecticut’s gaming landscape has been impacted by last year’s legalization of online casino gaming and sports betting, which enabled Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino to introduce gaming apps and casino sportsbooks. 

“There is evidence the audience has gotten a little younger, meaning more of it is in the 25-54-year-old age bracket, but we still have a lot of customers older than that," Galinsky further told the cited source. 

This slight increase in the percentage of younger casino-goers may have something to do with the greater marketing focus on non-gaming amenities as opposed to gaming options and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions that created pent-up demand. 

In the commercial, Derrick Williams, Mohegan Sun's director of transportation and a most congenial 25-year employee of the casino, greets guests as they arrive in the Sky Tower hotel. He also appears in Episode 6 of the fifth season of Mohegan Sun's "Back of House" online TV series. "Williams epitomizes what we want in employees," Galinsky said.