New York Lottery: Bodega Cat

The journeys that cats experience throughout their days wondering the outdoors are a mystery to us all. Here, the New York Lottery present us with a commercial starring a generous cat and what we perceive as a very lucky owner! See our thoughts on this new advert below with scores out of 10 for essential areas of marketing effectiveness. The advert was created by the advertising agency McCann, New York.

Memorability 8 / 10

Great warm visuals and a catchy little story make the clip easy to take in over multiple viewings. The main human character represents perhaps the largest demographics of lottery players, the “middle aged” or “mature” players. We’ll remember the idea of a cat going through so much trouble to do such a nice deed for it’s owner this Christmas. Many Cat owners will relate directly to this notion, wishing or believing their cats would do the same for them if the laws of nature allowed it. A clever idea portrayed with class and warmth.

Effectiveness 8 / 10

The core objective of Lotto ads is surely to spread awareness and remind us of the joys of playing. The more acceptable and modern approach to selling tickets seems to be to show us the the thrill of playing over the less tasteful approach of selling us easy riches. A great level of attention has been placed within the ad to avoid relating it to wealth in any way. The ticket is portrayed as a gift and something very much worth a very kind gesture. This may prove to be a far more engaging way to condition players to see the Lotto as a product more in line with entertainment than purely a long odds gambling scheme.

Style 8 / 10

Very warm colors and seasonal themes are spread throughout the backbone of the settings. This gives us the powerful feeling of “now is the time to play”. The cat is cute but not as exceptionally beautiful as one might expect from such a concept. Either they were limited in their options for the actual cat that was available to play the role or they have purposefully chosen this modest looking creature to ensure it looks as “blue collar” as possible.

Heart / Humour 9 / 10

The ad is filled with moments that will warm the heart especially for viewers that currently own a cat. The concept shows us every cat owners dream of a feline that actually gives something back. The final shots of the cat understanding the key principles of the stocking and climbing to place the ticket above the fireplace will be the scene that sticks in the minds of all. A modest home that is decorated to appear as welcoming and seasonal as possible ties in perfectly with the target demographic and the time of year.

Execution 8 / 10

A clever concept with well-chosen key characters gives this ad it’s life. The only thing missing is perhaps more of a play on the fact that the ticket is blessed or special in some way to reinforce the notion that caring for others is just as important as hope for yourself. The lotto is all a huge contributor for charities.