PALMS / UNSTATUS QUO

Forget old Vegas. What happens here resonates everywhere.

Las Vegas had been offering the same clichés for decades. So for the relaunch of the Palms resort, we set out to subvert the tired expectations of what Vegas has become, and literally coined a new phrase — a powerful mantra to fuel the rise of a new Vegas.

To bring this notion to life, we summoned a crew of Palms’ friends and resident artists — all masters in the art of breaking the status quo. With them, we created a series of culture-jamming art pieces, products and experiences — and a ton of content — to bring a feast of different to the Vegas routine.

WATCH THE CASE VIDEO

THE UNSTATUS QUO CREW OF INFLUENCE

Masters in the art of defying the status quo.

CARDI B
Musician, Ex-Stripper
& Cultural Phenomenon

REVOK
Graffiti Writer Turned
Gallery Artist

KEN BLOCK
Rally Driver,
& YouTube Sensation

DAPPER DAN
Harlem Legend, Activist,
& Gucci Designer

EMILY RATAJKOWSKI
Actress, Fashion Designer
& Activist

OZUNA
Latin Trap Legend &
Tea Aficionado

RITA ORA
Ex-Refugee, Musician
& Designer

MARSHMELLO
DJ, Gamer, Activist
& Helmet Head

RYAN SHECKLER
World Champion Skater
Grew Up At The Palms

ADRIANA LIMA
Supermodel, Mother
& Athlete

EZRA MILLER
Actor, Queer Advocate
& Social Media Dissenter

CHEF MICHAEL SYMON
Iron Chef, Turned BBQ
into Fine Dining

CHRIS STAPLES
Dunk Champion & Former
Harlem Globetrotter

JOSHUA VIDES
Shoe Designer, Artist
& Typographer

DUCKWRTH
Rapper, Co-creator of
Unstatus Quo Soundtrack

LETICIA BUFONI
Gunniess World Record Female Skater

TIMOTHY CURTIS
Graffiti Writer Turned
Gallery Artist

FELIPE PANTONE
Graffiti Writer Turned
Gallery Artist

OLIVIA STEELE
Light artist &
Fire Sculptor

GARY STRANGER
Graffiti Writer Turned
Pro Typographer

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 40+ FILMS

In collaboration with our crew of status quo saboteurs, we created a collection of coveted artifacts, content and experiences — from original music and hot fashion collabs, to unique art shows and private performances — showcasing these initiatives across 40+ films.

Goodbye, Old Vegas

Ken Block - Donuts

Gary Stranger - New Vegas, Nevada

Chris Staples - Dunk Service

Cardi B - Money

Andy Warhol - Ping Pong

Adriana Lima - Samurai

REVOK - Untitled

Ozuna - Tea

Un-manifesto

UNSTATUS QUO DROPS

The brand launch film was also the only way to get one-of-a-kind art pieces and products created for the campaign.

Hacking the YouTube Cards functionality, we dropped exclusive creations from leading artists and brands within our film. Pieces from Joshua Vides & Nike, REVOK, Dapper Dan & Gucci, and many others were only available to those who watched the launch film.

THE BRAND & MUSIC PARTNERSHIP

A new, unreleased track by Duckwrth featuring samples of James Brown was created as the soundtrack across our films. It was released in unison with the campaign across all major music streaming services including Apple Music and Spotify. The brand partnership included naming the track and designing the album cover art, in partnership with artist REVOK.

"Unstatus Quo" debuted as #5 on the Anti Pop playlist on Spotify.

ELEVATED PALMS FROM A HOSPITALITY BRAND TO A CULTURE BRAND.

The campaign truly permeated the news with media coverage across various publications and categories, including: AdAge, Adweek, Billboard, Grammy, Hypebeast, Forbes, People, Paper, Vibe, NBC, ET, The Drum, Travel Weekly, Daily Mail, Telemundo, HotNewHipHop, The Hollywood Reporter, People En Espanol, Popsugar, Men’s Journal.

Role: Copy Lead

Core agency team: Aaron Seymour-Andersson, Alice Chiapperini, Dustin Freeman, Daniel Jones, Thomas Martin.

Director: Sam Brown / DP: Benoit Debie / CD @ Palms: Tal Cooperman / GM @ Palms: Jon Gray