E11even Brings Its Grand Theft Auto VI Shout-Out to Real Life

When the trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI dropped on December 4, the internet quickly got to work picking apart all the Easter eggs that could be found in the 90-second clip. With the next installment set to return to Vice City, the game's in-universe take on Miami and Miami Beach, the South Florida-specific shout-outs also made it enjoyable for anyone with knowledge of the area.

Even Miami nightlife got in the action, with GTA versions of Club Space and E11even quickly flashing on the screen. The latter, however, decided to lean into the video game's satire of its banner ads that are towed by airplanes just off the shores of South Beach to remind tourists of its existence. "Nine1Nine: Why Sixty Nine When You Can Nine 1 Nine," reads the banner in the GTA trailer. As a hat tip, E11even flew a banner reading, "When Nine 1 Nine = E11even."

According to E11even's director of marketing, Eddie Franco, the club flew the banner and came together quickly after the trailer was released. "I got a text message the day the trailer was released saying, 'New GTA trailer dropped, and look what's on it,'" he says. The marketing team got to work on flying a banner as an ode to the trailer's release. "I quickly called the fly-banner company and flew it the next day," he adds.

Anyone who has spent time in South Beach knows that these banners are commonplace and have been so for decades. While many nightclubs use the practice to advertise their venues to beachgoers, nobody does it as prolifically as E11even. "We fly the banners weekly," Franco says. "It's just a staple in beach cities where you have fly banners passing along the message. It's just fun."

When asked if he knows if Rockstar Games, the developer of GTA, perhaps sent employees to scout out locations like E11even for the game, Franco says he doesn't know if for sure Vice City's Nine 1 Nine is meant to be a stand-in for E11even, but he does look forward to playing the game when it's released in 2025.

In the meantime, E11even has released a video response to the GTA shout-out, which you can watch below.