By Jacquelynn D. Powers, Photographs: Tomas Muscionico

n the cutthroat world of marketing and advertising, image is literally everything. That's why it is no surprise to see dozens of hip-looking 30-something employees at the brand-new offices of SK+G in Spanish Ridge.

There isn't a necktie or pantyhose to be found. In fact, the owners of SK+G, John Schadler and Jerry Kramer, appear to dress in the vein of Apple guru Steve Jobs; Schadler is even clad in a Jobs-style black turtleneck, while Kramer is more casual in a short-sleeve, button-down shirt (also black).

SK+G's office is so new that construction crews mingle with the stylish workforce. The 36,000-square-foot space, parts of which resemble the trendy nightclubs that Schadler and Kramer work with, still has many raw patches. Outside the reception area, the feel is warehouse-chic, with unfinished ceilings and acres of boxy cubicles filled with Herman Miller furniture. Yet even in this halfdone atmosphere, visitors get the sense that creative concepts are constantly being hatched.

Most of that innovative energy is generated by managing partners Schadler and Kramer (they share equal billing and equity).

Coincidentally, both men were groomed by one of the ultimate masters in the art of promotion, Steve Wynn. John, 49, studied under Wynn for 15 years as his vice president of marketing (at properties such as the Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio) and was a part of those legendary Frank Sinatra campaigns at the Golden Nugget. Jerry, 61, also had a working relationship with Wynn as a producer for the hotel mogul's in-room videos and other television work. In 1999, they left behind their respective careers and formed SK+G (Schadler Kramer Group). "We sat in my living room with a six-pack and wrote a business plan," John recalls. Their first account was MGM Grand, and they had 10 employees. Now, eight years later, they have 30 clients, 150 employees and total billings of $116 million.

SK+G is not the biggest advertising firm in Las Vegas (that would be R&R Partners), but its influence can be felt from Las Vegas to Atlantic City, and even the Bahamas. The company performs traditional ad-agency functions (graphic design, media planning and buying, TV campaigns and web design), as well as branding, logo development, strategic planning, research, database mining, public relations and event marketing. Most of its clients are hotels, including Atlantis, Paradise Island, and Baha Mar Resorts (in the Bahamas); Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa (Atlantic City); the Vegas-based Echelon Place, MGM Grand, Luxor, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, W Las Vegas and Wynn Las Vegas; and Trump International Hotel & Tower (the New York location).

Since tourism and hotels are their lifeblood, Schadler and Kramer constantly strive to stay ahead of the trends in this fickle industry. "When Steve Wynn opened the Mirage and Treasure Island, there was a tendency for Vegas to be perceived as this ultimate family destination," John remembers. "That was relatively short-lived, until everybody recognized this place wasn't about that. Actually, there has always been a sexy overtone to Vegas, a naughty overtone. What has happened since then, with the onset of Bellagio, Venetian and Wynn, is the market has been heading more toward the luxury side of the travel experience. The future is everything, from these designer restaurants with celebrity chefs to the most amazing collection of retail stores on the planet to world-class spas to the most beautifully designed hotel accommodations. That's where the new development is headed with CityCenter, Mandarin Oriental, Echelon Place and the Morgans Group."

By focusing primarily on upscale gaming resorts, SK+G has become known as the authority in the field. This has led the agency to go far beyond advertising and marketing. Now SK+G is actually shaping the products it sells. "We have become a resource for companies in this specialized industry," Schadler says. "We help them program the amenities and venues they offer. We've become experts at launching brands from the ground up and also repositioning brands that may have gone through a major renovation. We'll be called upon to devise what the restaurant concept should be, how the spas should look and what kind of retail they should have" ...

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