Revel AC

I've heard the Revel TV commercial enough so that I finally can recognize the music when it starts and can pay attention.

As I said previously, it's a stupid commercial, one in which I can barely recognize the advertiser's name, and, if I hadn't already known the advertiser, I would never be able to figure out the industry that they are in.

I finally found it on YouTube: Revel TV 0:30 Commercial What do you think?

not very effective. the music is annoying, the visuals are disjointed and strange ( a little interesting).
flashing REVEL for two seconds at the end with "AC NJ" in small print.
how preposterously provincial. i know they are probably only aiming for the market of gamblers who already go to AC.
let's face it, that's about all they have left. not many people are going to become regulars if they aren't already.

prediction: Revel joins Borgata at or near the top of the market. the others continue in the same direction. down

Quote: WongBo

i know they are probably only aiming for the market of gamblers who already go to AC.

Quite the opposite. And I think that's part of the problem. Or maybe not.

The spot includes images such as a suitcase, gourmet food, swimming, drinking and partying. Words like "destination", "recreation", and a 'what's that mean?' word, "elevationism".

These things, after a few viewings, give you feeling that this is a hotel resort. But there is nothing there to suggest that it's a casino. So if their focus is, as I have always claimed, to emphasize the resort and down-play the casino, they've succeeded. And the music suggests a target audience of a young, hip crowd.

Where this commercial fails, and fails miserably, is in it's effort to identify the advertiser.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

And the music suggests a target audience of a young, hip crowd.

Where this commercial fails, and fails miserably, is in it's effort to identify the advertiser.

I agree about the target audience. I think the lack of identification of the advertiser is also by design. The young hip crowd wants a certain exclusivity or cache. I think Revel would like the same people in NYC who are saying "I know a great little restaurant...it's a secret..." to say "I know a great weekend getaway..."

my point is that they are not going to be attracting people from beyond a 200 mile radius.
how could they? the airport is a joke, no real airlines service AC.
are you aware of what markets these adds run?
my guess is eastern PA, NJ, and NYC.

Quote: WongBo

my point is that they are not going to be attracting people from beyond a 200 mile radius.
how could they? the airport is a joke, no real airlines service AC.
are you aware of what markets these adds run?
my guess is eastern PA, NJ, and NYC.

They might attract some specific players from outside that radius - Like me, from MN - , but I get your point. I haven't been to Revel yet (maybe in a month or so), but if I like it I might go to AC another time per year at the expense of a trip to Tunica (also not exactly easy to get to) or CT (ditto).

Quote: WongBo

my point is that they are not going to be attracting people from beyond a 200 mile radius.how could they? the airport is a joke, no real airlines service AC.are you aware of what markets these adds run? my guess is eastern PA, NJ, and NYC.

The airport in Richmond VA is 201 miles, and Hartford Connecticut is 198 miles. That is a huge number of people in a 200 mile radius.

With increased jet fuel costs, Revel could attract conventions that used to go to Myrtle Beach, Orlando FL, or Freeport Bahamas.

I don't think Revel cares if they attract anyone outside of a 200 mile radius.


They are within easy flight distance of charter flights (108 miles from Suffolk County):
Day trips from Long Island to Atlantic City for $100

I finally found YouTube copies of the new DO AC campaign.

In contrast to the Revel commercial, I recognized the advertiser immediately, the first time I saw the spot on TV. But that *might* be because of the thread talking about their new slogan, and the way "DO" is highlighted in the commercial.

I get the feeling that the Do AC and Revel commercials were producted by the same ad agency. They certainly have the same style, although the Do AC spots do a far better job of identifying the advertiser.

The music is better for Do AC than Revel as well. It's the same genre, but it's from an actual hit song, so it has greater mass appeal.


There are two 0:30 spots I saw.
Do AC - Do Anything
Do AC - Do Proximity

For what it's worth, in the Proximity spot, I recognized the inside of the Water Culb's spa pool from my stay there three weeks ago. And I'm fairly certain all three of the outdoor pool shots were at Revel.

Both spots also contained a lot of generic stuff where it's impossible to identify the exact location.


Bottom line: While I have no idea if either ad campaign will be effective, I think the Do AC spots have a far better chance. And while "Do AC" is kinda lame for a slogan, it works very well for the hook of the ad campaign.

word on the street in atlantic city: the locals are unimpressed with Revel.
the casino is dark, the comps are non-existent, and
no new jobs were created as they cannibalized staff from other casinos.

rumors are swirling that a patron fell to his death from the three story unprotected escalator...

Quote: WongBo

rumors are swirling that a patron fell to his death from the three story unprotected escalator...

"Unprotected escalators" are common. I doubt this story, even if true, will get much buzz.

My understanding from the story is that an elderly woman fell DOWN the escalator compared to over it. However she did die at the hospital and a determination has not been made if the casino was at fault or her health. This is why it has not gotten much press. The source I have this from is one I believe.

On the rest of the casino, I agree, it is not popular with the local gamblers. the resort is getting good reviews, but you cannot make it on weekend visitors in the Spring and Summer. They seem to be opening up on the comp rooms, but even that has catches based on our play. They have done nothing to take gamblers away from CZR or Borgata and seem like they think they can make it without them.

I for one cannot wait to see the April numbers and what they do when facing 10% occupancy in October.

I'm a local....

I wouldn't say I'm unimpressed, but as stated in my previous post in this thread, there is nothing that would draw me to Revel over Borgata if I was driving the 30 minutes it takes to get to AC from my house just for a gambling trip. Borgata will still be getting just about all of my gambling business and my overnight stays (comp rooms thank you very much). The only reasons I would have for going to Revel over Borgata are:

* If there was a show/concert I was interested in (ie the Maroon 5 concert next Friday night, I have a pair of tickets for that)

* If I had family/friends in town who have never seen the place before (its a spectacle, everyone should go check it out at least once)

* I had some sort of substantial incentive to be at Revel at a certain time. So far this has amounted to a weak Mother's day promotion where I can get $10 resort dollars just for putting my Revel card in a machine during Mother's Day weekend (sorry Revel, not good enough).

That last point is where Revel is going to need to figure out their place in the market. They will not find a lot of success with a 'no/low comps' mentality. It just won't work, ESPECIALLY with the locals. Next Friday, I will be at Revel for the Maroon 5 concert....but I will be in AC almost the entire day....at Borgata gambling, eating, and drinking. We probably won't got to Revel until a few hours before the show. We might gamble a little at Revel before the show, but we are certainly going to be gambling at Borgata A LOT before that show. There is no draw for us to the Revel casino floor. Not sure how they can change that (or if they even care to change that), but I think for locals that is a huge part of the problem they face. Unless you absolutely must have/love the completely non-smoking atmosphere, I don't see anything special about the Revel casino floor. Yeah its new, machines are new, smells new, looks cool. That's not enough to draw me away from Borgata and their better video poker paytables and layout I know by heart....

I did like a few of the things that Revel has to offer. First, the no smoking thing is outstanding for anyone who doesn't want to smell like an ashtray but enjoys gambling. As others have alluded to, not sure how long this will last, but it is certainly enjoyable for the time being. Second, the limits were all very reasonable, especially for a brand new resort. $5 minimums in standard casino games (Blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride, UTH, etc.) and this is especially pleasing for the mega low-roller such as myself. For anyone who actually plays LIR such as myself, it is worth noting that the 3 card side bet pays 4-1 instead of the usual 3-1 for the flush, essentially cutting the HE for that bet in half. The only other casino that I know of that offers 4-1 on the flush is the Borgata, so kudos to Revel for keeping up with their competition.

Third, I like the look. I've heard people saying "It's too dark" or "It's too modern" or even "it's too fancy" but I disagree. I think it is a refreshing change from the other resorts in Atlantic City and their windows overlooking the Atlantic Ocean allowing some natural light in and allowing patrons to see the outside world offers a nice change of pace as well. My friends and I lost some money to Revel but I wish them the best and hope they succeed in bringing some new life and ideas to AC. God knows it can't go anywhere but up.

Quote: duckmankilla

Third, I like the look. I've heard people saying "It's too dark" or "It's too modern" or even "it's too fancy" but I disagree. I think it is a refreshing change from the other resorts in Atlantic City and their windows overlooking the Atlantic Ocean allowing some natural light in and allowing patrons to see the outside world offers a nice change of pace as well. My friends and I lost some money to Revel but I wish them the best and hope they succeed in bringing some new life and ideas to AC. God knows it can't go anywhere but up.

There IS a lot of light; what there isn't is a lot of reflection. They use a lot of LED lighting, so the strategy is different. They can load up on direct light, and use dark surfaces, and still be cost effective on the electricity.

Well, the "no tiers" on their Revel players club didn't even last until the grand opening this coming weekend.

http://www.revelresorts.com/revelcardpromo

Tier levels are:

1 - You sign up - Comps offers, Earn resort dollars, Free parking (upon earning $10 restort dollars in 1 day), presale access to events
2 - You earn 200 Resort dollars in a year - Everything above plus free slot play bonuses and 2X Base resort dollar earning
3 - You earn 500 Resort dollars in a year - Everything above plus exclusive receptions/parties, Comp rooms, Dining program
4 - Invitation only (aka the degenerate gambler level, at least in my small time player world) - Everything above plus Skygarden/O2 access, Suite upgrades, Annual giveaway, Annual event, Spa pass,

You can also bring your premium cards from other casinos to get an instant tier match.

So for those who were complaining about no premium players club or benefits, they already backed off that just in time for the grand opening.

I was at Revel last weekend for a 2nd visit (Maroon 5 concert was awsome, no issues to report with the venue). We had already won quite a bit at Borgata and didn't spend much time gambling at Revel (broke even). One thing I definitely like at Revel...the resort dollars your earn can be converted to slot play, right at a slot/poker machine. Couple of presses of the buttons and you can convert your resort dollars to slot dollars and play them right on the spot. There's a new wrinkle.....no comp dollars versus slot dollars. Turn your comp dollars into slot dollars if you want...or keep them as 'resort dollars' and spend them 1 for 1 anywhere at the resort.

Revel also sent me a slot plya offer.....$5 per week for the first 5 weeks after the grand opening. Umm....yeah, that's not going to divert me from Borgata but at least they are trying....

How hard is it to earn resort dollars? For example, what would it take to earn 10 resort dollars for free parking or 500 resort dollars for level 3?

You mean the secret ratio of coin in to resort dollars earned? I didn't have the patience to try to calculate in the couple of times I was there....someone more resourceful might have an answer to that already.

Quote: cpm57

3 - You earn 500 Resort dollars in a year - Everything above plus exclusive receptions/parties, Comp rooms, Dining program

The comp rooms are a huge switch, too. They made a lot of noise about "no comp rooms."