• by Larissa Faw , March 29, 2019

AKQA Portland is bringing together rapper Cardi B, model Emily Ratajkowski, actor Ezra Miller and Chef Michael Symon, among others, to launch the Palms Casino Resort's new campaign. It supports the most expensive resort makeover in Vegas's history. 

This eclectic mix of pop-culture personalities are shown living the luxurious life, including dunking a basketball in a hotel room, to illustrate the over-the-top hospitality experience provided by the property. 

While the video anchoring the campaign is jam-packed with famous faces, the collection of talent isn't about celebrity for celebrity sake, says Aaron Seymour-Anderson, creative director, AKQA Portland. "It's a reflection of Palms' authentic connection to music, art, and culture."

He notes that Cardi B is setting up her first Vegas residency at the property and artist Damien Hirst has designed the world's most expensive hotel room. The ad may be ostentatious and extreme, but so is the resort. 

An online/offline tie-in invites viewers to win items from the video, such as a Gucci x Dapper Dan jacket. The film is also a platform to launch “Unstatus Quo Drops,” a first-of-its kind activation utilizing YouTube Cards, where items from the launch video, such as the aforementioned jacket, can be “unlocked” and given to consumers. 

Viewers can find the product “stashed” at specific times within the film online. New drops launch every day starting today through April 5, the day of the resort's grand opening.