Miami's Grand Theft Auto VI marketing saga just gained a third player, one that actually voted yes. The Miami Beach City Commission, a separate government from both the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County, voted 4-3 on September 10 to let its city manager negotiate a deal putting discreet Grand Theft Auto branding on the beach, specifically, the beach chairs.
Rather than plastering the controversial franchise across landmarks, the deal would put subtle "Vice City" or "VI" branding on the privately run Boucher Brothers beach chairs and umbrellas, with nothing on the lifeguard stands or other iconic public spots. The campaign would run from mid-October through the end of the year, around the November 19 launch but steering clear of Art Basel in early December. In exchange, the city is eyeing somewhere between $3 million and $4 million in compensation from Rockstar Games and parent Take-Two Interactive. Supporters look to put the money toward a football field renovation.
The 4-3 margin tells you it was not an easy sell. Commissioner Tanya Katzoff Bhatt argued that the game is "coming to Miami Beach with or without us" and that walking away from close to $4 million in benefits is a missed opportunity. Commissioner Monica Matteo-Salinas, who mentioned she plays GTA, called it "a win for gamers and gaming nerds such as myself." On the other side, Commissioner David Suarez came armed with Grand Theft Auto V footage and scenes from the Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, arguing that a city that spends heavily to shake its lawless spring-break image should not brand itself with a game built on car theft and violence against police, calling it "worth any amount of money."
Miami's three GTA 6 marketing tracks
Entity | The pitch | Status |
|---|---|---|
Miami Beach | Discreet "Vice City"/"VI" on beach chairs and umbrellas | Voted 4-3 to negotiate a deal |
City of Miami | Up to six downtown banners and building wraps | On the agenda, still pending further steps |
Miami-Dade County | A full "Vice City" takeover of the airport, port and transit | Talks only, facing heavy opposition |
Three separate local governments with three very different appetites, as of September 11.
On the other side of the Miami story, Miami-Dade County's sweeping airport-and-transit takeover ran into the sheriff and the courts while the City of Miami's downtown banner plan is still crawling through the process. Miami Beach found the path of least resistance by keeping it small, private, and off landmarks, all so it could cash a quick check.
The grand, immersive Vice City takeover fans imagined was always going to choke on politics and optics. A few discreet logos on beach umbrellas, funding a park or a football field, is the version that can actually survive a city commission. It's far less exciting, but it's also far more likely to happen.
A couple of things to keep remember though. This isn't signed or approved yet. This is merely an authorization to negotiate. Terms can still change and the whole thing could just as easily still fall apart. Even the mayor flagged how unusual it is to greenlight a negotiation before a finished agreement is on the table.
Simply put, all that's agreed on is for Miami Beach to start talking with Rockstar about the possibility.
So the real Vice City is inching toward selling itself back to the fictional one, one beach chair at a time.