Loto Libanais: Goodbye Bad Luck [video]

Credits & Description:

Brand: Loto Libanais
Advertiser: La Libanaise Des Jeux
Agency: Impact Bbdo Dubai, Dubai
Executive Creative Director: Fadi Yaish
Copywriter: Gustavo Gamarra
Art Director: Daniel Correa
Agency Designer: Mohamed Said
Agency Producer: Emilie Haddad
Film Production Company: Big Kahuna Films, Dubai
Director: Maged Nassar/Tameem Younes
Cinematographer: Ricardo Plates
Executive Producer: Eddy Rizk
Post-Production Company: Serena, Dubai
Editor: Alavaro Del Val
Colorist: Roman Peregon
Post Producer: Claudio Emilio Ferrante
Sound Production Company: Eardrum, Sydney
Brief Explanation:
SITUATION
Loto is all about luck. But during the first half of 2015, something unprecedented was happening; Loto had gone 14 weeks without a winner. Clearly, people were feeling pretty unlucky and sales had declined by 11%
For greater context, we also need to look at what was happening in Lebanon at the time. The country was without a president, the economy was depressed, the country was being flooded with refugees from neighboring strife – times were bleak.
BUSINESS OBJECTIVE
To halt the weekly ticket sales decline.
COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE
We had to make people feel lucky again.
INSIGHT & STRATEGY
People in Lebanon can be highly superstitious. One such superstition is that black cats are believed to bring bad luck. With luck being instrumental to Loto – we thought that we could do something to help people feel that the bad luck was gone.
Our strategic approach:
Let’s make people think all the black cats are gone, so that they can feel lucky again.
IDEA & EXECUTION
The big idea:
Goodbye bad luck.
The campaign:
We decided to make them believe that we had rounded up all the black cats (a sign of bad luck) in Lebanon, and sent them to New Zealand (where it’s a sign of good luck).
We kicked off the campaign with nationwide newspaper ads and billboards –
asking people to call in if they spotted a black cat, so that we could come and collect it.
People would then see the see Loto vans and workers, rounding up the black cats of Lebanon, and popping them in pet carriers.
During the live, weekly Loto draw on National TV, we announced that we had
cleared out the black cats of Lebanon.
But where were all the cats going to?
Little known fact; New Zealand is one of the only countries in the world where black cats are considered good luck! So we thought we’d make it look like we were sending our cats to New Zealand, and doing them a favour.
We then shared a video on TV and online showing the black cats on their flight out of Lebanon to New Zealand, where they were then put up in 5-star hotels, pampered with massages, and treated to meals prepared by top chefs.
Looks like the cats were just as lucky as Lebanon!
RESULTS
On business:
It was clear that Lebanon was well and truly feeling lucky again;
• Loto weekly ticket sales increased by 21% in July 2015 (target: halt decline)
• New customers were up 61% year-on-year (target: 50%)
• We also got the attention of our inactive customers – with 82% playing Loto again (target: 50%)
(Source: Nielsen sales report for Loto Libanaise, Jan - July 2015)
Campaign reach and impact:
• Over 1.5 million views on YouTube and Facebook on the first week. (Target: 500,000)
• Over 56 million impressions from social media and regional & global PR.
(Source: Google Social Tracking Report, 2015, OMD CommTracker)