Did you know there’s a real city nestled between San Diego and Los Angeles called Funner, California?

I know because my company came up with it.

We were also responsible for recommending Funner, California’s very first Mayor:

Mayor David Hasselhoff.

For those down in Southern California, none of this will come as breaking news.

Funner, California has been a thriving Funopolis and home to irreverent Harrah’s SoCal for almost a decade.

It was one of the last courageous ideas our team worked on at my last creative agency and is exactly the type of work I still believe can break through a world that is over-indexing in AI and efficiencies while under-indexing in critical thinking and courageous ideas.

So it brought me joy when their team reached out to me 18 months ago and asked the following question:

Do you still do advertising?

My answer:

Yes (with an asterisk)

Leadership is language. 

Language is leadership.

Words very much matter, Leaders.

I’ve always felt it was off that marketing lived by itself at the end of the corporate conveyor belt.

It’s so easy to sit in the C-suite, look at Marketing and ask, “Where are the customers?”

That’s not how business should operate.

Which brings us to operations.

Start on the leaders’ lips.

Run the idea through the veins of the organization so the team is invested.

Then take it to market.

Our brief was simple:

Revitalize Funner, California.

Today, I’m so excited to share the new Harrah’s SoCal Resort work. 

One that pokes fun at fun.

There was a time when “fun” was fun enough.

Now, fun has become scheduled and sanitized.

When was the last time you said to a friend or family member:

“Come on, it’ll be fun!”

(A dead giveaway that you’re lying to yourself)

Somewhere along the way, fun started playing it safe.

Fun became routine.

Fun lost its mojo. 

“Fun Is Boring” is now live and out in the world.

It drives people to consider an alternative:

Choosing Funner, California.

Remember how I said “Yes with an asterisk” earlier?

Part of our deal was to work closely with Funner’s Executive Leadership Team to truly operationalize Funner. For those of you who listen to my podcast, you might remember an episode with Chili’s CMO George Felix. You can listen to the episode here, or just take away the following:

There was no reason to explore bringing “Fun Is Boring” to lifeif we couldn’t deliver on “Choose Funner” at the resort.

Part of our agreement was mandatory back-of-house training for all 2,500 Funner employees. This wasn’t a pep rally, and it certainly wasn’t us bulldozing our way in. It was a truly collaborative, cross-functional effort built alongside Harrah’s General Manager, the People & Culture team, and Marketing leadership.

Together, we devised the program, working closely with People & Culture to ensure the entire team could actually deliver on the promise of Funner. Then, across five sessions, 2,500 employees learned what that promise meant—and how they needed to show up every day in this revitalized city.

The Funner Promise:

A City of Chance, Choice & Delight.

CHANCE. Funner is a city where Chance is possible all across our gaming floor.

CHOICE. There’s something here for every adult. Choices run rampant (Lazy River, Modern Spa, Swim Up Bar, Dining Options).

DELIGHT. This isn’t Vegas. This isn’t “what happens here” escapism. It’s levity and bursts of thoughtful Delight.

If you live in Southern California, chances are you’ve run into the new work. And I have to admit, it’s been nothing short of Funner hearing from old friends who’ve reached out asking, “Is this you guys?”

None of this happens without trust between the Funner, California team and Courageous. There’s zero chance this goes anywhere without Amber Lussier and Beau Swanson opening the door. And on our side, there are too many people to thank—but none more than Austin Lane, Mike King, and Lisa Jacobs.

If what you see above looks like nothing more than an ad campaign, you’re missing the point.

This is a creative business idea built to work from the inside out.

It lives in the employee experience.

It lives in the guest experience.

And yes, it lives in the marketing.

There’s very little daylight between the way Funner operates and the way Funner shows up in the world.

The sole goal of leadership is Believership.

Can’t get excited about believing in Funner?

You’re in the wrong city.