Visit Atlantic City Rebranding Campaign

About Project

Revitalizing Atlantic City: Visit Atlantic City aims to shine bright in its rebranding campaign

Once referred to as "America's Playground,” Atlantic City, New Jersey, had been a dazzling destination that the rich and famous flocked to in the early 20th century.

Changing vacation priorities caused visitors to shift from Atlantic City’s beaches and once-bustling boardwalk. Casinos were introduced in the 1970s to bring tourism back, but over time created a narrative that Atlantic City was associated with crime, drugs, and corruption.

Meet AC partnered with Simpleview to rebrand as Visit Atlantic City. The overall campaign goals were to reshape Atlantic City’s image, reenvision the narrative, influence its reputation, and highlight its most appealing qualities. Campaign objectives included developing a brand backed by data and visitor insights research and better establishing Atlantic City in the competitive meetings and events landscape.

The rebranding campaign aimed to develop a fresh, honest identity highlighting the destination’s natural elements and encouraging community pride. In keeping with the aim of being a meetings-first brand identity, a new name, brand ethos, logo, and core creative concept emanated from the chosen tagline, “Live to Meet.”

Seventeen focus groups and 1,000 surveys targeting meeting planners, community stakeholders, leisure travelers, and residents conducted by Destination Analysts provided a solid understanding of the DMO’s target audience and factors affecting their behaviors, preferences, and needs.

With the data gathered, Visit Atlantic City's brand story, pillars, and personality traits were developed, aligning with the values and desires of its target audience. The new branding and website embodied the destination's vibrant, playful, bold, eclectic, and iconic nature.

The rebranding’s effectiveness was significant. Surveys revealed a significant increase in positive receptivity, with meeting planners finding it inviting and suitable for business. Planners judged themselves more likely to source Atlantic City for future events.

The rebrand campaign successfully achieved its objectives, building a meetings-first brand, utilizing the destination's equity, and establishing positive associations with offsite leisure activities. It countered negative perceptions through vibrant aesthetics and positive messaging. Moreover, the campaign fostered community pride and reaffirmed Atlantic City as a vibrant destination for hosting memorable meetings.