Loveable Dog the New Furry Face for Lotto Campaign

Media Release 4 October 2010

Loveable Dog the New Furry Face for Lotto Campaign

NZ Lotteries has launched a loveable Lotto campaign, which features a dog called Wilson and his heroic journey to return a winning Lotto ticket to his owner.

“New Zealand's pet ownership statistics are one of the highest in the world. We know that a third of New Zealanders own a dog, and that the majority of dog owners acknowledge that they treat their pet as a member of their family*, so this new campaign featuring a wire haired fox terrier is sure to resonate with many Lotto players,” says NZ Lotteries Chief Executive, Todd McLeay.

“Cat owners don’t miss out either, as the new campaign also features a memorable cameo by a pedigree kitty,” he adds.

“Today is World Animal Day, so it is appropriate that we celebrate the role that pets play in our lives and acknowledge their loyalty, even if in our Lotto advertisement the story ends somewhat different to what viewers might initially expect!”

NZ Lotteries’ own big winners’ research reveals that 51% of Lotto winners have at least one pet, while 32% have more than one. Just like our new ad campaign, cats and dogs are the most common pets owned by Lotto winners, however there were some more interesting pets in the results – rabbits, a rat, chickens, a chinchilla, and even a miniaturehorse! accordingto Mr McLeay.

Lotto’s newest hero, Wilson the dog, was introduced to the New Zealand public last week in a teaser campaign that involved short television advertisements and “Missing Dog” posters being placed up around major cities and in Lotto retailer’s stores.

The advertising campaign introduces a new look for Lotto, that also includes revised pricing to account for the GST changes and a new starting point for Powerball, which has increased from $3 million to $4 million in a base week.

Wilson’s full story, and further information on the Lotto changes, can be found at www.mylotto.co.nz.

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