What was the original brief for this campaign?
The brief for this campaign was to breathe new life into the SuperLotto Plus brand, to make it relevant again among Californians at time when national draw games demand so much attention with jackpots that get up to hundreds of millions, and the occasional billion dollars. Few people know it, but SuperLotto Plus is California’s original lotto game and the odds are better because it’s only playable in California.
In a few words, tell us about your role in the creation of this work
I was involved in all aspects of our May The Best Dream Win campaign, from concept to creation, music to writing. But so were a lot of people and this was a total team effort across the board. Agency-side our job was to stay true to the vision that we sold to the California Lottery and honor the concept.
What inspired you to approach the campaign in this way?
The topic of dreams, generally speaking, has been explored every which way, not just in lottery advertising, but in advertising in general. We wanted to broach the subject of dreams in a different way that was grounded, ironically, in reality. In fact, our inspiration came from talking to real Californians. We conducted interviews across the state and we asked people what they would do if they won. Their answers had nothing to do with driving fancy cars, bathing in money or sailing off to tropical islands. They were grounded in reality, in giving back to their communities, friends and families. We call them “dreams of generosity,” which to us indicate a changing of the times and a new California Dream. “May The Best Dream Win” is all about inspiring Californians to look within themselves and dream their best dream. After all, if a dream is going to come true anywhere, it’s here.
How difficult was it to sell the idea to California Lottery ?
Our clients have always been open to big creative ideas. Arguably, this is the biggest campaign to date that we’ve sold through and produced. It took a lot of trust and support on their end to get it done without compromising on quality or concept.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during the process?
There were a lot of challenges, but one that was met at almost every level of the process was making sure that every dream moment felt authentic and believable. Every detail had to be sweated so that every dream scenario could be relatable. The moment they lose relatability is the moment we lose people.
What did you learn from the experience?
The experience reminded me that big ideas still rule the day. And that when everyone, from clients to production, is behind it, we can accomplish great things, regardless of the platform, medium or timeline.
What’s a “behind the scenes” story that only you know about?
Let’s just say that if anyone out there is thinking of casting several three-legged dogs that don’t have on-set training, DM me for some shooting day dos and don’ts.