Harrah's Cherokee Casino is trying to balance its message of excitement with the somber news and images coming out of the U.S.-led war with Iraq.

In a move to tone down its marketing campaign, last week and this week the casino pulled in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia radio spots that featured its "Oh Yeah!" campaign.

"It's not a good time, or for that matter an appropriate time, to run a message of excitement with such an exuberant feeling to it," said Ahinawake Littledave, the casino's marketing services manager.

The casino is not alone in its decision to rethink marketing during the war.

The American Association of Advertising Agencies, a trade organization, told its membership last week to prepare for changes in reaction to the war.

"People are certainly careful of two things," organization spokesman John Wolfe said. "They don't want to put anything on the air that would appear inappropriate, that would seem to be too light-hearted or over the top with humor. And secondly, they want to make sure any ads they do run appear in a friendly environment."

Joe Bob Hester, an assistant professor at the UNC School of Journalism, said advertisers often pull spots during wars to avoid controversy.

"Casinos in particular are sensitive about this because there are some groups who are opposed to legalized gambling and opposed to the casinos being allowed to advertise at all," he said.

"Whatever we do, we will tone it down a bit," she said. "This is a tough time for the country, but people also need to feel like they can escape."