New York Lottery: Medieval & UFO

In the past, the lottery has been sold with flashes of what people could do with the winnings and be living the high life. Now we see a different approach. One that embraces the drama of playing the odds. Here, we look at the New York Lottery’s latest advertising campaign selling their new take 5 product. We’ll give these adverts scores out of 10 for memorability, effectiveness, style, humor, and execution. Check out our scores and see if you agree!

Memorability – 8 / 10

Both ads show us a funny play on the fact that the new lottery ticket has far better odds than conventional lotto tickets. The “1 in 9” chance of winning is what most viewers will take away with them. This is a very attractive aspect of the product that requires very little hard selling. The rest of the content gives us a clear message, “Play this one if you think the main lotto is almost impossible to win”. It’s a strong message that many lotto players will relate to. Great visuals and impactful action add to the commercials ability to secure a long-term place in the memories of players.

Effectiveness – 8 / 10

Good humor and a simple script ensure the message of the ad is very clear and delivered uninterrupted. It’s the kind of ad most people wouldn’t get annoyed with if seen multiple times over. This makes it especially suited to the TV. The humor is far from stellar. The campaign is not going to win any awards or become a blockbuster with online views, but it does deliver a clear message with an effective yet subtle call to action.

Style – 8 / 10

Both ads feature visuals that resemble the dramatic scenes of Hollywood movies. Epic scenery and high-quality production value ensure the scenes are attractive, with main characters that have been cast for their likeability and comedic presence.

Heart or Humor – 7 / 10

The abductions in the UFO clip are brash and almost feel a little unnecessary, but we suspect many viewers will find them to be the funniest parts of the ad. The core humor comes from the all-important punchline, “we could just play take 5 instead”. It’s a very relatable line that will hit home with longtime players that feel the odds are always severely stacked against them whenever they play the original lotto schemes. Players of the lotto range from young to old, but this campaign seems to be aimed more at the younger adult markets that would have seen the blockbuster movies that are referenced here. The humor is simple enough for all demographics to understand, which allows the concept to appeal to a broad range of players.

Execution – 8 / 10

There’s no better way to make people gamble than to offer attractive odds. The New York Lotto is taking lessons from the gambling industry and have designed a product that looks as attractive to players as possible through numbers. It’s a fine strategy that most would predict will see numbers of players sore if only for the few initial weeks of Take 5’s introduction.