News
Bob Shallit: Bearish 'spokesman' talks up Thunder Valley
By Bob Shallit
bshallit@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Mar. 2, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
You might say Thunder Valley Casino now has a bearish outlook.
But that's not a bad thing.
With its new 15-story hotel and spa set to open up in four months, the Lincoln-area gambling emporium has just launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign featuring a new "spokesperson" – an affable, 7-foot-tall, talking grizzly bear named "Thunder."
The TV spots – made by Sacramento's MeringCarson agency – feature the lifelike animatronic bear hanging out at the casino, joshing with customers and spewing a bunch of one-liners that Thunder Valley execs hope will become local catch phrases.
In one, he's winning at the slots and remarks, "I'm S-M-Oken!" At a card table, he remarks: "Come on, Daddy needs a new picnic basket."
In another spot, he chides a blackjack player for splitting kings – a serious "no-no."
"I could have taken his head off," Thunder says of the player but then adds: "I'm a lover, man, not a decapitator."
The best part of the spots is watching the reactions of the people Thunder's chatting up – a combination of actors, casino employees and customers who were recruited for the job. All act as if it were perfectly natural to be gambling and talking with a 1,000-pound brown bear.
One campaign goal, says ad agency partner Greg Carson, is to have Thunder come across as a fun-loving "dude" – a party animal, so to speak.
"He's an everyday guy, an everyday bear," Carson says.
The bigger campaign goal is to brand Thunder Valley as an exciting and friendly place where the unusual is commonplace. The casino's new slogan: "Just as you unexpected."