YAAMAVÁ BRAND LAUNCH

Issue: Introducing a new brand while transitioning from one with 30+ years of equity, the casino risked losing equity, consumer loyalty, and ultimately market share. The new Yaamavá brand needed to suggest a change in the casino experience while maintaining a commitment to San Manuel Casino’s network of attractive and distinctive associations.

Insight: The casino was a true gambler’s casino, but guest behavior suggested they were striving to get more out of each visit. When guests step away from tables or slot machines, their craving for excitement doesn’t stay with the game, they’re searching for more.

Idea: Discovery of something new. It’s in our very nature to find exhilaration in the new. To see excitement of the unexpected. An endless yearning to experience what lies beyond the ‘every day’. Using the meaning behind the native Serrano word Yaamava' as inspiration (‘spring’ and ‘rebirth’), we would stoke the flame of curiosity, expand imagination beyond reality, and indulge in every sense that would lead to a yearning for discovery.

Impact: Opening in December 2021 to much fanfare, the casino saw more foot traffic than any other attraction in California, second only to Disneyland.