Vegas launches ad campaign to tout its variety

When in Las Vegas, you can still party on a budget.

That's the message in an estimated $7 million national TV and print ad campaign begun this week by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority - the city's chief marketing arm - and advertising firm R&R Partners.

The authority and R&R spent eight months researching how the weak economy has affected consumer behavior. They found that people were more cost-conscious and based their vacation decisions on having a variety of activities available. The research also found that a lot of people expected to afford only one major vacation this year, as opposed to more than one before the recession.

"It really is all about variety," said Arnie DiGeorge, executive creative director at R&R Partners, which coined the famous "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" slogan. The new campaign "just shows people having a variety of experiences that are not gaming."

Some print and online ads show a couple dining out, another image shows three men coming to town for sports, and one depicts a family reunion.

As the world's biggest convention town and home to 150,000 hotel rooms, Las Vegas sets national trends in lodging and tourism.