Your losing lottery ticket might not be a total waste, in B.C., anyway, since the BC Lottery Commission launched the ‘SportsFunder’ suite of tickets in February to support amateur sports. Recent ad efforts have been leveraging a big coup for the initiative – landing Wayne Gretzky as a spokesperson.
‘We’re really excited, ‘ says Owen Gormley, marketing communications associate at Vancouver-based BCLC. ‘Having a cause-related game is new.’
The campaign featuring Gretzky, including print, outdoor, online, TV and POS, as well as an instant win ticket offering the chance to ‘win a day with Gretzky,’ launched in late June. A teaser campaign asking: ‘Which famous Canadian would most people like to meet?’ led up to the big Gretzky reveal.
While Gormley says it’s still too early to gauge the campaign’s impact on ticket sales, it’s safe to say this has been a good PR move for BCLC – it’s received public kudos from the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the BC Ministry of Tourism. And, BCLC’s announcement of Gretzky’s involvement aired on Entertainment Tonight Canada.
We asked Dave Haggith, director of communications for Toronto-based sports marketing firm IMG Canada, and Baron Manett, VP at Toronto-based promotions agency Segal, to weigh in on whether this campaign makes the cut.
Concept
DH: It’s a homerun for a sports-themed promotion. Securing Wayne Gretzky’s participation is an absolute coup for BCLC and the SportsFunder program and will certainly resonate with the audience they are hoping to attract. The only downside here is using Gretzky can be a bit of a double-edged sword in that his presence can sometimes drown out some of the other messaging, but that is a very small price to pay for all that he brings to the campaign.
BM: As a sports tie-in, the endorsement by Gretzky is a good fit. The disconnect in this program is what do consumers actually win? Do they win by contributing to amateur sport or a day with Wayne? And if they win that grand prize – what does it actually amount to? Lunch with Wayne, hockey with Wayne?
Creative
DH: The billboards, POS and TV spot are well done and do a good job of maximizing the power of Gretzky and this unique opportunity to win a day with him. The media mix is well targeted and suggests strong frequency. The power of Gretzky is the key here and that comes across very well.
BM: The idea of a tease and then reveal should pique some consumers’ interest, especially those who are sports fans. But, the creative makes Wayne Gretzky the hero, where I would think the hero should be the consumer through the purchase of these lottery products, which can help fund amateur sports in B.C.
Website
DH: The website itself is very good, and provides all of the program information that people will want, but more emphasis could have been placed on directing people to the site through some of the other promotional materials.
BM: It’s easy to navigate, but it is buried in the BCLC’s corporate site. I don’t believe many consumers, without some sort of added directions, will access this site. The copy seems to come from an internal briefing document and is not written in a manner that will create heightened excitement about the program.
The creds
Campaign concept: BCLC marketing team
Creative: BCLC creative team
Media buy: TBWAVancouver
PR: BCLC team, Optimum Public Relations
