Foxwoods Re-Introduces Iconic Theme Song

MASHANTUCKET, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Anyone with even the slightest clue about pop culture throughout the 1990’s could likely sing a few lines of Foxwoods Resort Casino’s catchy “Wonder of it All” theme song – if not recite the entire jingle from start to finish. Now, in an effort to connect with a new audience – as well as reconnect with longtime fans – North America’s largest resort casino has launched a marketing and promotional campaign geared at finding a new voice for the once ubiquitous song.

Foxwoods is implementing a comprehensive promotional campaign that employs an integrated mix of new and traditional mediums to reach its target audiences, and utilizing a variety of marketing and advertising channels to inform consumers. By leveraging social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube); viral and grassroots marketing; a dedicated online presence; and outdoor, print, radio and web advertising, the resort casino has its sights set on not only aspiring musicians and untapped talent but, rather, the “MTV Generation” as a whole – a demographic that might not be as familiar with the brand’s rich and storied history as are those of an older demographic.

In its search for new talent, Foxwoods is giving musicians the opportunity to upload their take on the famous theme song to www.bethewonder.com, where the public will be invited to vote for their favorite versions. And although musicians throughout the country are invited participate, Foxwoods is focusing its marketing efforts in major New England markets, including Hartford, Boston, Providence, Worcester and Portland, Maine. In conjunction with its media partner, The Phoenix Media Group, Foxwoods will further bolster awareness of this campaign through extensive promotion in affiliated radio, print and online outlets, including The Phoenix newspapers, Stuff magazine, WFNX-FM and www.thephoenix.com.

A panel of Foxwoods executives will then review the top 50 online vote recipients and choose 10 musicians to perform before a panel of celebrity judges on February 27. In addition to becoming the new voice of North America’s largest resort casino, the winner will receive a year-long promotional contract and a $25,000 grand prize package, including top-of-the-line music equipment, a Foxwoods VIP Package, studio time, an advertising schedule and more.

“The Wonder of it All,” originally sung by John Pizzarelli, was used in a Foxwoods Resort Casino commercial that premiered in April 1999. The song became synonymous with the property and helped establish Foxwoods as one of the premier resort casinos in North America. The jingle impacted pop culture in such a profound way that it was featured in Sports Illustrated and parodied on “Saturday Night Live.”

This isn’t the first time Foxwoods has taken a non-traditional approach to marketing the award-winning property. Just last month, North America’s largest resort casino paved its way into the consumer technology space with the launch of a Foxwoods-branded mobile application. This first-ever resort casino branded application in the casino gaming category boasts a ‘game play’ feature, allowing users to try their hand at Foxwoods-themed games using ‘play money.’ The game simulates all the sights and sounds of an actual casino, creating a virtual environment that will immerse consumers in the Foxwoods experience. The Foxwoods-branded iPhone application also offers users access into a virtual “velvet rope club” in the form of a dedicated concierge service, marking the first time a service like this is available on the iPhone. The property-branded iPhone application, much like this latest promotional campaign, is just another way for consumers to interact with the Foxwoods brand in a fun, modern and engaging way.

About Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods

North America’s largest casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino® is located in the rolling hills of southeastern Connecticut and is easily accessible from Boston, New York, Hartford, and Providence. Owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Foxwoods features six casinos with more than 7,200 slots, 380 table games, the only WPT World Poker Room™ in New England, High Stakes Bingo, and Ultimate Race Book. There are 1,416 guest rooms and suites in three hotels, more than 30 restaurants, a luxurious spa, more than 50,000 square feet of premium meeting and event space, 24 retail shops, and five entertainment venues, including the 1,400-seat Fox Theatre. Conveniently located adjacent to Foxwoods is Lake of Isles™, featuring two 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Rees Jones and a state-of-the-art Golf Academy. In May 2008, the MGM Grand at Foxwoods® debuted, adding 825 luxurious guest rooms, 115,000 square feet of meeting space, the 4,000-seat MGM Grand Theater, a 21,000-square-foot spa, and more dining, retail, and gaming facilities, bolstering Foxwoods’ preeminence as the East Coast’s ultimate casino resort destination. Foxwoods supports responsible gaming, and plays a leadership role in the Connecticut Council of Problem Gambling, of which it was a founding entity. For more information, call 1-800-FOXWOODS or visit www.foxwoods.com.

About the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

The Mashantucket Pequots are a native Algonquin people in southeastern Connecticut, having endured centuries of conflict, survival, and continuity on and around one of America’s oldest Indian reservations, established in 1666. As the first native people within the borders of the continental United States to suffer attempted genocidal massacre by Puritan Colonists in 1637, the Pequots and their repatriation is an unprecedented story of restoration exhibited in detail at the Tribe’s world-class Museum and Research Center (www.pequotmuseum.org). Today the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation owns the largest resort casino in the world, Foxwoods Resort Casino (www.foxwoods.com), along with several other economic ventures including the Lake of Isles Golf Course (www.lakeofisles.com), a joint-venture partnership establishing the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, and Foxwoods Development Company dedicated to world-class resort development throughout the United States and Caribbean. All together, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation remains one of the State of Connecticut’s highest tax payers and largest employers. Likewise, the Tribe provides significant financial contributions to state and local nonprofit organizations that support neighboring communities.