New Jack City: Sir Richard Branson Commands Fountains of Bellagio!
Call it showmanship, exploitation, merchandising or just good promotion…
Contrary to popular belief none of the above are dead—especially where Sir Richard Branson is concerned.
Case in point; my recent stay at the BELLAGIO HOTEL in Las Vegas.
On Tuesday evening an announcement letter from the hotel’s general manager appeared in my room suggesting I wake up early the next morning and look out my window at 9:15 a.m. to observe a very special event that would take place on Lake Bellagio.
Apparently Branson, the British billionaire, daredevil and head of everything VIRGIN, was in town to plug—make that celebrate — the 10th anniversary of non-stop VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRLINE 747 service between London and Las Vegas. PLUS to announce his airline’s additional upcoming service between Manchester and Vegas.
But then the flamboyant Branson never does anything in an ordinary way!
This time he talked the Bellagio’s management into allowing him to use their lake in front of the hotel and the Fountains Of Bellagio for his little scheme.
So as I watched from my 23rd floor hotel window, here came a tuxedo clad Branson charging unto Lake Bellagio on a jet-ski with a VIRGIN flight attendant holding on for dear life behind him.
Whether in fact she was an actual virgin remains unclear. (Note to myself: check with Craig Glazer for the 411).
They criss-crossed the lake several times, but a tight turn landed both of them in the drink.
That didn’t stop Sir Richard!
Back on the jet-ski Branson sped towards a floating platform on the lake, uponwhich he climbed, picked up a baton and proceeded to “conduct” somehow the Fountains of Bellagio to the musical stylings of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon.
The bottom line?
Great media coverage by every local radio and TV newcast, some national network coverage and great newspaper write-ups with pictures on both sides of the Atlantic.
Money alone can’t buy that kind of publicity!
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the only other two times that MGM Resorts International allowed the use of the lake and Fountains of Bellagio for an outside event was for Britney Spear’s appearance at the 2001 Billboard Music Awards and in 2004 when the lake’s color was turned pink for an Angels Across America promotion sponsored by Victoria’s Secret.
Check an abbreviated version Sir Richard Branson Bellagio water event on YouTube:
Jack Poessiger
June 28th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Wonder what he had to pay MGM for access to the lake. BELLAGIO HOTEL…you entertainment guys know how to live.
June 28th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Jack at the Bellagio. Bet the female companions are expensive at that place.
June 28th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I originally read the title of this article as …”Sir Richard Branson Commands Fountains of Felatio”. I was really envious there for about 10 seconds before realizing I misread.
June 28th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
I’ve never agreed with Gordon Gecko’s “Greed Is Good” blast, but I do believe that “Shameless Self-Promotion Is Good” — always. More power to Sir Branson!
June 28th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
The sooner that we can blow Vegas up and get sports betting and prostitution legalized nationwide the sooner we can put people with no real skills back to work. We’ve damn near got more casinos than Starbucks but Vegas still thrives because of the sports books.
Fuck-em, time we got in on that action. Union Station is the PERFECT location.
June 28th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Smartman, I can see Union Station as the perfect location for a sports book, but for prostitution also? Where are you gonna stick the ladies and the johns? In the Harvey House booths?
June 29th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Amazing the amount of heat that went up when the State of Deleware tried to get into the Sports Book business. I agree, screw Las Vegas, it’s a hell whole with illegal aliens handing out cards and brochures on every street corner for a buffet of barely legal to 65 year old poontang. You bring some heat on illegal books and legalize sports wagering in all 50 states, tax the winnings but let the losses offset the winnings…hell just treat it like a stock loss transaction and offset ordinary income and you’ll see some real robust job growth. Books will lower the vig to be competitive. Law would make you prepay your potential loss so no deadbeats could gamble. Lots of upside in this particulary when it’s going on all the time anyway.