Lots of gambling going on today in agency land.
In February, we noted that former Martin Agency GCD Deb Hagan had left to join another Richmond-based agency, Barber Martin. (She previously worked in art/creative direction at Fallon, BBDO San Francisco, TBWA and more before going in-house with Walmart.)
Her new shop just released its first work under Hagan’s leadership in the form of a campaign for the Virginia Lottery.
In 2014, the client chose Barber Martin as one of six new partners tasked with handling the work previously led by another Richmond shop, Big River Advertising. That was just a few months after founders Bob Barber and Bill Martin sold the shop to president/CEO Robyn Deyo.
The message in these two spots is that playing the lottery is a (completely healthy!) sort of compulsion, wherever it may happen. First there’s “Car.”
It’s not over ’til its over … and then there’s still another scratch-off that you missed!
The same scenario could also theoretically occur at your local pool.
The lottery is sort of a Green Eggs and Ham thing: it (almost certainly) will not happen in a car or in a bar or on a star … but that very tiny chance is what keeps people coming back, isn’t it?
The press release positions this campaign as indicative of the agency’s shift under creative lead Hagan, who “assembled an entirely Virginia based team” to work on the project under the slo-mo emotional connection theme.
“eXTRA Chances is such a unique game for the Lottery that really leverages a consumer insight. So by tapping in to the exaggerated truth of what it’s like to get another chance, we can really find the humor in the emotion,” Hagan said, adding, “Telling the story this way forces you to be very particular about what’s in each shot. We had to find just the right pieces of the close ups to capture the story and the emotional journey of the hero.”
The campaign also includes in-store POS, radio and digital spots.
Credits
Client: Virginia Lottery
Executive Director: Paula Otto
Director of Communications: Jill Vaughan
Director of Marketing: Gwen Dean
Strategic Games Manager: Katherine Cundiff
Creative Manager: Linda Jimenez
Marketing Manager: Molly Mascia
Marketing Project Manager: Virginia Parthemos
Agency: Barber Martin Agency
President/CEO: Robyn Zacharias
Chief Creative Officer: Deb Hagan
EVP/Director of Broadcast Production: Greg Simos
ACD/Art Director: Sarah Duke
Copywriter: Lauren Barrett
Account Director: Leigh Nance
Account Executive: Michael Foster
Project Manager: Michelle Slemmer
Production Company: Spang TV
Director: Whiskey Tongue – Chris Allen Williams & Matt West
Director of Photography: Mark Mervis
Executive Producer: Melanie Cox
Senior Producer: Jordan Rodericks
Associate Producer: Erin Surber
Production Coordinator: Christina Garnett
Editorial Company: Mad Box Post
Editor: Justin Tolley
Editorial Executive: Macy West
Colorist: Matt West
Audio Post Company: Red Amp Audio
Composer/Mixer/Engineer: Jody Boyd
Audio Executive Producer: Marna Bales