but was rejected by the Nevada Gaming Commission later that month. The commission felt that the settlement was too vague and that it would set a new and unhelpful precedent throughout the gaming industry on how to handle advertising. Some commissioners also questioned the earlier assertion by the control board that one of the ads promoted casino cheating, stating that no reasonable person would perceive the ad in such a way. Lichtenstein also stated that "the intent of the ad was quite obvious. No reasonable person could assume otherwise. That someone (unreasonably) construed the words to suggest illegality doesn't make the ad illegal." The models featured in the advertisements stated that the ads were not meant to encourage illegal activity, and that the content of the ads had an obvious meaning despite the accusations by the control board. One commissioner concluded that Siller had threatened the Hard Rock when he said, earlier that month, that he would seek disciplinary action against the resort's gaming license if future ad violations occurred. Siller denied claims from critics who said that he was biased against the Hard Rock, saying that he was only performing his job duties. In July 2004, the Hard Rock was planning a risqué $15 million advertising campaign across the United States, despite the past controversy and fines. Kevin Kelley, the president of the Hard Rock, said, "We are mindful of our relationship with the regulators and authorities, but we also try to do a good job of balancing things for our customers. We have a market to serve and we are doing things to connect to that market." In August 2004, the Hard Rock was planning to reduce its use of heavily sexual advertisements. Phil Shalala, the vice president of marketing for the resort, said about such ads, "That's what everybody else is doing. We were the ones that set the standard. We need to move away from skin and do something different." However, Shalala said the new marketing approach was not in response to the concerns raised by the gaming control board. That month, the resort unveiled a new billboard advertisement which featured cartoon illustrations of animals accompanied by the message, "Another clean & inoffensive billboard from your friends at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino." The resort denied that the ad was meant as a sarcastic response to Nevada gaming regulators. Some critics believed the billboard contained