The Choctaw Nation has hired the Richards Group of Dallas to promote its business interests, including casinos, hotels and convenience stores. The firm created three TV spots to familiarize area audiences with the endeavors of the Choctaw, a federally recognized non-reservation-based tribe with more than 223,000 members who primarily live across 10 counties in southeast Oklahoma.
The first spot explains the Choctaw’s businesses aren’t limited to legal gambling and the revenue from these efforts sustains an entire community. Richards Group Brand Manager Rhonda Contreras said, “The Choctaw are known primarily for the casinos they own. Our goal is to create awareness for all of the businesses they own and operate to support their members and the people of the counties where they exist. To me it’s an unusual circumstance: we don’t usually think about creating a brand for a sovereign people.”
Richards Group Copywriter JT Steinert said the agency’s biggest challenge was how to “show what a wonderful story these people have.” While developing the campaign, “we kept surprising ourselves with how much more they do. It quickly became a theme for us,” he said. Steinert noted the agency spent several weeks working closely with Choctaw members to gain more insight. “We had members of the Nation come out and audition, and they were great. They told us about their lives and stories and provided glimpses into what they do every day. We learned about ceremonial dances and the traditional game of stickball. That’s a real team playing in the shot; you can’t fake that kind of love and passion.”
The third spot encourages both tribal members and non-members to do business with Choctaw companies, focusing on the 8,000 Oklahomans employed by a Choctaw-run enterprise. “You’re doing something larger than your immediate job. There’s lots of poverty in the area, but the things the Nation does help all residents, regardless of whether you are Choctaw. These days, people buy not just what you do, but why you do it.”
Beyond the TV spots, the Choctaw campaign also includes radio, digital and print ads.
