What do women's rights, a one-armed surfer, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the first man on the moon have to do with the California Lottery?None of them could have been possible … read morewithout this single word: Believe. Because in order to achieve the seemingly unfeasible, you must truly believe that big things are possible.
When the California Lottery was ready to launch Powerball, they decided they needed a different approach than anyone had ever attempted before. With only about 30% of Californians feeling positive about the Lottery brand, they needed to go beyond just showcasing Ferraris or yachts in advertising. They needed to start changing perceptions about the Lottery and its players. The Powerball campaign begins a new stage for the Lottery, giving the brand meaning beyond opulent stuff.
Like California itself, the California Lottery is a brand that stands for optimism and opportunity, and they wanted to see those values reflected in their campaign. They wanted to create something that was bigger, more inspirational and more of a mindset.
But standing out wasn't their only challenge. Powerball is a national game played across the US, which means the odds, as well as the rewards, are that much greater. Which means you really have to "Believe."
Campaign Elements:
--TV/cinema/viral film: A :60 spot, titled "Snowfall," was shot all across California by Academy Award-winning cameraman Janusz Kaminski. The film shows millions of white balls softly falling to earth in a snow-like fashion as consumers look on in amazement. All of this is set to an inspirational choir version of the song, "California Dreamin." In the end, a single red ball lands in a man's hand. As he joyously looks up, spreads his arms and smiles, a title appears and reveals the completed tagline: "Believe in Something Bigger. Powerball."
--Giant billboards with the single word "Believe" have appeared all over California leading up to the launch. Alongside these billboards, there will be a series of iconic images of events and people that overcame huge odds because they believed: a women's suffrage march; the fall of the Berlin Wall; the first man to walk on the moon; Bethany Hamilton, the teenage girl who lost her arm in a shark attack but believed she could keep surfing; and Robbie Knievel's infamous jump over the Grand Canyon. Eventually these inspirational tease posters will be replaced with headline executions encouraging people to "Believe in Something Bigger" with Powerball.
--Experiential: RedBall California. Working with world-famous artist Kurt Perschke, gigantic red balls will begin to appear in unexpected places all across California, with the final red ball ending up at the official Powerball launch party in Sacramento on April 10, 2013.
--A Believe website will encourage Californians to post their dreams and continue the conversation of "Believing in Something Bigger."
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