GTA 6: Miami Beach greenlights controversial marketing campaign

As we recently reported, Rockstar is planning a large-scale advertising campaign across Miami-Dade County. The proposals include a “Welcome to Vice City” reception at Miami International Airport, branded Metromover trains and even manhole covers featuring Vice City logos. However, the plans have faced resistance from local officials. Among the critics are Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz and County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, who have argued that a public campaign for a series built around crime, car theft and violence against police could send the wrong message about Miami. In Miami Beach, at least, supporters of the campaign have now narrowly prevailed.

According to the official Miami Beach City Commission meeting held on September 10, the proposed campaign was approved by a 4–3 vote. The accompanying resolution authorizes the City Manager to negotiate an agreement with Amplify Marketing Inc., which appears to be the agency handling the campaign. The campaign is scheduled to begin on October 15, roughly one month before the planned November 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI (available for pre-order on Amazon). The proposal includes advertising signs and other promotional material at facilities along the beachfront. The City Manager may also approve additional public spaces for the campaign.

It is worth emphasizing that the decision applies only to Miami Beach. The much broader plans covering Miami-Dade County as a whole have not yet been approved. According to a user on Reddit, another vote concerning proposed advertising banners in Downtown Miami is still expected. The negotiations in Miami Beach also appear to be ongoing. According to the same Reddit user, the city is attempting to secure more than the originally proposed $4 million. However, that figure does not appear in the publicly available resolution documents. It is possible that the amount was discussed during the meeting or in negotiations that are not publicly accessible, but the source of the Reddit user's information cannot be independently verified.