‘The King’ Is Back in O’Neil Griffin Lottery Spots

The “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” makes several unexpected appearances in O’Neil Griffin Bodi’s latest TV spots for the New Hampshire Lottery.

The recently launched broadcast, print and collateral campaign touts the arrival of the $5 “Elvis: The Instant Game” in the Granite State. “We thought it would be fun for Elvis to show up in weird places,” said Pat Griffin, executive vice president and partner of the Manchester, N.H., agency.

Efforts were made to be humorous, but respectful. “I didn’t want to portray Elvis in a bad light,” said Rick Wisler, executive director at the Lottery in Concord, N.H.

In one 30-second execution a waitress in a diner is complaining to a co-worker about her night shift just as The King strolls in. She says, “I’m not working this midnight shift anymore! Take a seat anywhere, hon, I’ll be with you in a minute. I told Lou, you never know who’s going to walk in.” When the waitress finally looks and sees Elvis, she’s so shocked she spills coffee all over the counter.

Another spot shows a white-caped Elvis pulling up to a gas station in a Cadillac. He walks into the convenience store and says to the young clerk, “How ya doin’? Gimme 10 bucks on pump number three and one of those plastic combs.” As Elvis walks out, the clerk says: “Cool cape.”

The campaign is tagged, “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is coming.”

O’Neil Griffin Bodi held casting calls in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston to select its perfect Elvis.

“I saw some rough Elvises,” Griffin said. In the end, the agency cast Ray Gilmette from Springfield, Mass. Gilmette visited the New Hampshire state Capitol and has made local talk-show appearances to promote the scratch game.

The Manchester agency has been promoting online games and instant tickets for the client since 1986.