JWT Goes Hollywood to Hype Lottery's 'Double Feature' By Daniel S. Levin

SAN FRANCISCO - The California Lottery has gone Hollywood as it launches its newest Scratcher game, 'Double Feature,' with a unique promotio

It’s the first time the Lottery has teamed with a retailer for such a promotion, and Lottery officials said they are actively exploring other partners for future games. ‘We’re doing consumer testing on everything from cars to hamburgers,’ said Susan Kossack, director of marketing for the California Lottery.
Double Feature, which went on sale Friday, offers players a chance to win up to $500 instantly as well as one of 80 popular feature films on video or a rental from The Wherehouse.
Lottery agency J. Walter Thompson here is introducing the game with a playful new commercial that uses rapid fire still shots by fashion photographer Daniela Federici that capture all the hype about Hollywood – couples air kiss and a silver-tongued mogul croons ‘ciao baby.’ The voiceover says, ‘Play it today, be a player tomorrow.’
The Wherehouse benefits from the Lottery’s marketing efforts for the game and prominent display of its name at 21,000 locations where the tickets are sold. In return The Wherehouse will ante up $1 million in media buying power as well as the prizes it donates to help entice players.
Under the aggressive guidance of Sharon Sharp, who became director of the Lottery more than a year ago, the California Lottery has tried to win new players by positioning itself as entertainment and offering a greater variety of games. So far it’s been a winning formula. Lottery sales are expected to grow to a projected $1.8 billion this fiscal year, up from $1.4 billion in the year ending June 30, 1992.
Sales of various Scratcher games have been a particularly strong area for the Lottery, surging to about $10 million a week, up from about $6 million a week a year ago.
Patricia Juckett, JWT account director for the Lottery, said with the exception of the ‘It’s time’ tagline attached to all Lottery commercials, each ad takes on its own personality. ‘Because the games are unique we try to position each one individually,’ she said.
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