R&R Partners
Encyclopedia
R&R Partners is an advertising
, marketing
, public relations
, and public affairs
firm with offices in Las Vegas
, Phoenix
, Reno
, Salt Lake City, and Washington D.C..
On June 23, 2008, R&R was one of 25 recipients of the Society for Human Resource Management Best Small Companies to Work For in America award. In June 2008, R&R and the Southern Nevada Water Authority were awarded the Silver (second place) EFFIE
. R&R won a 2008 AdweekMedia BUZZ Award for the “Best seamless integration of a brand into a reality show” for an integration with ABC’s Carpoolers on behalf of Valley Metro
. Valley Metro provides public transportation alternatives for the greater Phoenix metro area.
One of R&R's largest clients is the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
(LVCVA).
, and the trade publication Advertising Age termed it "a cultural phenomenon." In 2004, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and R&R Partners were named Grand Marketers of the Year by Brandweek
for their work on behalf of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. A CNNMoney.com article on the report stated “Las Vegas followed Google at No. 2 in the projected winners list. As a brand, Vegas has benefited from the "what happens here, stays here" advertising campaign wave”.
After the $1 sale of the "What Happens Here, Stays Here" copyright to R&R Partners on November 9, 2004, the LVCVA paid $321,000 in attorney's fees because of an investigation into the legality of the controversial sale. The sale was later overturned by a federal judge who claimed that the sale was made without the knowledge of the board. The judge also ruled that R&R partners was never the owner of the copyright and therefore could not collect damages or profits from the copyright.
According to internal LVCVA documents the advertising campaign "What happens here, stays here" has had little impact as most people, about 70% stated to R&R (the advertising firm who created the ad and conducted the market research) that the slogan had no impact on their decision to visit Las Vegas.
In a September 27, 2009, article in the Las Vegas Sun discussing the rebirth of the "What Happens Here" campaign, Matt Scheckner, executive director of nonprofit industry group Advertising Week, said, “No city in America has marketed itself as well as Las Vegas. The slogan transcends the recession. The Yankees are all about winning championships and FedEx is all about trust. People go to Las Vegas to have a good time. It’s on message.”
The "What happens here" slogan is not new, see What happens on tour, stays on tour
, yet the campaign brought Las Vegas a record-breaking 37.4 million visitors in 2004. Since then the phrase has been used by many celebrities. Gambling fan Ben Affleck
used it on Saturday Night Live
. Billy Crystal
used it to close the 2004 Oscars. It's been a clue on Wheel of Fortune
. In 2004 on The Tonight Show
when Jay Leno
asked Laura Bush
whether she had gambled or had seen a Chippendales show while visiting the Las Vegas Strip, the then First Lady
got a big hand by replying, "Jay, what happened in Vegas, stays in Vegas." In later years the phrase was used as the title for a 2008 movie 'What Happens in Vegas
' starring Cameron Diaz
and Ashton Kutcher
. Plus, it has also been used in the 2009 blockbuster hit The Hangover
.
, who reported findings of a 2007 internal audit by the LVCVA that discovered a subsidiary of R&R Partners overbilled the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority by as much as 43 percent. Through public records request NPRI found that the LVCVA not only knew about these irregularities but literally gave R&R the rubber stamp to approve expenditures above $500 without any oversight from the LVCVA. NPRI stated that R&R's contract with the LVCVA was worth $87 million in 2008. Keith Smith, board member of the LVCVA and CEO of Boyd Gaming, claimed in a letter to the editor that the particular overpayment cited by the Las Vegas Review Journal totaled about $2,000 and was already discovered by the LVCVA's internal auditor.
William P. Weidner, President of the Las Vegas and critic of the LVCVA is also a board member of Nevada Policy Research Institute. According to LasVegasNow.com Mr. Weidner can direct policy for the group. NPRI officials have indicated that Las Vegas Sands Corp. is also a donor to the organization. However on the same website, Steven Miller, vice president of NPRI claims that Weidner cannot direct policy because policy is directed by the consensus of a 13 member board and that Mr. Weidner was not present at any of the board meetings when it was decided to investigate the LVCVA. Critics still question NPRI's motives because the Las Vegas Sands Corporation competes with the tax-funded convention center run by the LVCVA. Steven Miller of NPRI claims, in an opinion column he wrote in the Las Vegas Review Journal, that this is a "red herring" to steer policy makers away from an external audit into the LVCVA's relationship with R&R partners.
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, and public affairs
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
firm with offices in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Reno
Reno
Reno is the fourth most populous city in Nevada, US.Reno may also refer to:-Places:Italy*The Reno River, in Northern ItalyCanada*Reno No...
, Salt Lake City, and Washington D.C..
On June 23, 2008, R&R was one of 25 recipients of the Society for Human Resource Management Best Small Companies to Work For in America award. In June 2008, R&R and the Southern Nevada Water Authority were awarded the Silver (second place) EFFIE
EFFIE
The Effie Awards are marketing communications awards given yearly by Effie Worldwide, Inc., a non-profit organization, to honor the most effective marketing communications ideas: ideas that work...
. R&R won a 2008 AdweekMedia BUZZ Award for the “Best seamless integration of a brand into a reality show” for an integration with ABC’s Carpoolers on behalf of Valley Metro
Valley Metro
Valley Metro may refer to:* Valley Metro in Arizona, United States* Valley Metro in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia* Valley Metro in Virginia, United States...
. Valley Metro provides public transportation alternatives for the greater Phoenix metro area.
One of R&R's largest clients is the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is a public/private partnership that owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center, Cashman Center, and Cashman Field and is responsible for the advertising campaigns for the Clark County, Nevada area....
(LVCVA).
"What Happens Here" ad campaign
R&R is responsible for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's "What Happens Here, Stays Here" campaign. The "What Happens Here, Stays Here" campaign was named the "most effective" ad of 2003 by USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and the trade publication Advertising Age termed it "a cultural phenomenon." In 2004, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and R&R Partners were named Grand Marketers of the Year by Brandweek
Brandweek
Brandweek was a weekly American marketing trade publication.First published in 1986 as Adweeks Marketing Week, the publication changed its name in 1992 after facing a legal threat from the UK's Marketing Week magazine. Brandweek coverd the world of marketing from big-budget ad campaigns to...
for their work on behalf of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. A CNNMoney.com article on the report stated “Las Vegas followed Google at No. 2 in the projected winners list. As a brand, Vegas has benefited from the "what happens here, stays here" advertising campaign wave”.
After the $1 sale of the "What Happens Here, Stays Here" copyright to R&R Partners on November 9, 2004, the LVCVA paid $321,000 in attorney's fees because of an investigation into the legality of the controversial sale. The sale was later overturned by a federal judge who claimed that the sale was made without the knowledge of the board. The judge also ruled that R&R partners was never the owner of the copyright and therefore could not collect damages or profits from the copyright.
According to internal LVCVA documents the advertising campaign "What happens here, stays here" has had little impact as most people, about 70% stated to R&R (the advertising firm who created the ad and conducted the market research) that the slogan had no impact on their decision to visit Las Vegas.
In a September 27, 2009, article in the Las Vegas Sun discussing the rebirth of the "What Happens Here" campaign, Matt Scheckner, executive director of nonprofit industry group Advertising Week, said, “No city in America has marketed itself as well as Las Vegas. The slogan transcends the recession. The Yankees are all about winning championships and FedEx is all about trust. People go to Las Vegas to have a good time. It’s on message.”
The "What happens here" slogan is not new, see What happens on tour, stays on tour
What happens on tour, stays on tour
What happens on tour stays on tour is a notorious phrase or saying agreed to by men who get together and travel either interstate or overseas for sporting tours. In essence, the phrase means that all exploits during the tour must be kept strictly confidential, never to be discussed with anyone...
, yet the campaign brought Las Vegas a record-breaking 37.4 million visitors in 2004. Since then the phrase has been used by many celebrities. Gambling fan Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
used it on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
used it to close the 2004 Oscars. It's been a clue on Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
. In 2004 on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
when Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
asked Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
whether she had gambled or had seen a Chippendales show while visiting the Las Vegas Strip, the then First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
got a big hand by replying, "Jay, what happened in Vegas, stays in Vegas." In later years the phrase was used as the title for a 2008 movie 'What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the marketing catchphrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."-Plot:...
' starring Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
and Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
. Plus, it has also been used in the 2009 blockbuster hit The Hangover
The Hangover (film)
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...
.
Controversy with the LVCVA
R&R has been scrutinized by the Nevada Policy Research InstituteNevada Policy Research Institute
The Nevada Policy Research Institute is a private non-profit, free-market and limited-government policy research organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, who reported findings of a 2007 internal audit by the LVCVA that discovered a subsidiary of R&R Partners overbilled the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority by as much as 43 percent. Through public records request NPRI found that the LVCVA not only knew about these irregularities but literally gave R&R the rubber stamp to approve expenditures above $500 without any oversight from the LVCVA. NPRI stated that R&R's contract with the LVCVA was worth $87 million in 2008. Keith Smith, board member of the LVCVA and CEO of Boyd Gaming, claimed in a letter to the editor that the particular overpayment cited by the Las Vegas Review Journal totaled about $2,000 and was already discovered by the LVCVA's internal auditor.
William P. Weidner, President of the Las Vegas and critic of the LVCVA is also a board member of Nevada Policy Research Institute. According to LasVegasNow.com Mr. Weidner can direct policy for the group. NPRI officials have indicated that Las Vegas Sands Corp. is also a donor to the organization. However on the same website, Steven Miller, vice president of NPRI claims that Weidner cannot direct policy because policy is directed by the consensus of a 13 member board and that Mr. Weidner was not present at any of the board meetings when it was decided to investigate the LVCVA. Critics still question NPRI's motives because the Las Vegas Sands Corporation competes with the tax-funded convention center run by the LVCVA. Steven Miller of NPRI claims, in an opinion column he wrote in the Las Vegas Review Journal, that this is a "red herring" to steer policy makers away from an external audit into the LVCVA's relationship with R&R partners.