To promote lottery tickets as holiday gifts, we had to charm a few Scrooges.
The Problem
Our Vermont Lottery client wanted something different for his latest holiday promotion. The tickets were the same, the reason to purchase was the same (“they fit everyone on your list”) and the sales were the same from year to year. So we had to catch some attention, stir up some awareness and maybe make some people smile when they thought about the Vermont Lottery at the holidays.
The Insight
Lottery tickets were usually the last thing people considered as possible gifts to give. They were often eleventh hour choices when time was running out. But we knew when people received tickets as gifts, they were actually happy and enjoyed playing. Nobody says “bah humbug” to some extra cash, right?
The Solution
Speaking of cash, our production budget was small. Not enough to pay actors, but puppets would work for a lot less. Plus, we thought the idea of puppets singing about the gift-giving challenges of the holiday season would generate some interest, grab a few eyeballs and warm some curmudgeonly souls. Fortunately, we partnered with a wonderful animation company who actually not only built the puppets but the snow-covered Vermont village they lived in. It was a joyful thing to watch. For us, for our client and for so many lottery players.
Sales were significantly higher and the Lottery heard from many of its customers and retailers how much they loved the commercial. So much so, two :15 second sequels were generated for the Winter ticket promotion. This campaign was the gift that keeps on giving.
