Using humor to connect with audiences can be great. As long as you have your reindeer in a row.
The Challenge
In 2018, the Maine Lottery decided to participate in an exciting new multi-game holiday program called the Secret Santa Promotion. The Promotion involved a total of 5 holiday-themed instant games plus all draw and Fast Play games as well as a play-for-fun Secret Santa game for mobile devices. 7 second-chance prize drawings gave players a chance to win vacation trips, a $100,000 cash prize, or, for the first time ever in Maine, a chance to win a warehouse dash for great merchandise. The challenge was to communicate this complex promotion effectively and generate as many entries through the RewardME Club as possible.
The Insight
The creative team came up with dozens of items that they wanted more of, like cool clothes, cars and electronics. But all were too materialistic; this campaign needed to be warmer, more genuine and real. Just like the Maine Lottery brand. So out came the ice cream cones, piles of pasta and lots of puppies. Our hearts melted (so did the chocolate chip) and we produced messaging that was very rewarding.
The Solution
By creating a humorous characterization of the reindeer Dasher, always in the shadow of Rudolph, now with a chance to shine, we made a human connection with viewers. Dasher was the perfect spokesman for a warehouse dash and the Secret Santa promotion. More than 1.1 million entries were made in the RewardME Club for the Secret Santa promotion.
