Loto-Québec
Lucky stars

The Goal

In recent years, Lotto 6/49 had become part of daily conversations by positioning itself around lucky moments. With the tagline "You should buy a 6/49," it was successfully associated with a common expression Quebecers say when they encounter luck: "You should buy a lottery ticket," which helped the brand stop a decade of declining sales. However, Lotto 6/49 couldn't rely solely on expensive mass media campaigns to remain top of mind. Sid Lee proactively aimed to create a budget-friendly social media initiative that could strike a chord with Quebecers, giving them a new reason to talk about the brand and buy tickets.

The Target

To achieve this goal, the campaign targeted adult social media users from all over Quebec. Unfortunately for Lotto 6/49, this audience was already bombarded with ads as they browsed their feeds. The only way to engage them was to create an experience worthy of their time and attention.

The Insight and Strategy

By analyzing the social media landscape, it became clear that only a few innovative formats such as Facebook Live could engage Lotto 6/49's audience in such a crowded environment. But how could Lotto 6/49 broadcast lucky moments live when they are, by definition, unforeseeable? The team attempted to anticipate lucky moments. At first, it seemed impossible. And yet, one stood out. A moment with a narrow and predictable window, a natural phenomenon, a sign of good fortune, dear to every Quebecers' heart: a summer meteor shower.

Every August on Mont-Mégantic in Quebec's Eastern Townships, people gather to see "The Perseids", hundreds of shooting stars lighting up the summer night sky. And while most Quebecers know about them, few are able to make the trip in person.

The Plan

The team headed out to Mont-Mégantic on Aug.8 to broadcast the meteor shower on Facebook Live. Equipped with Ultra HD cameras pointing directly at the sky, trained technicians patiently waited for the stars to appear. At 10 p.m., Lotto 6/49 started its live stream. Every time a shooting star appeared in the sky, a technician would activate a visual device that prompted internet users to make a wish. Users were also invited to click on a button under the video to purchase a Lotto 6/49 ticket as a token of good luck. Meanwhile, a counter tallied the number of shooting stars seen during the night. The live stream was then pushed on sponsored posts over the next few days for the remaining duration of the August meteor showers.

Technology and Tools

To create the perfect feed, the technicians had to integrate visual and sound triggers into the actual footage of the sky in real time, which was then transmitted to Facebook Live. The purchase button was customized to incite people to turn their wish into action.

User Experience

Seeing a shooting star as it bursts through the sky is a magical moment. The feeling of luck it generates comes from witnessing such a short-lived event as it happens. To emphasize the sensation of being there in real time, the location of the camera and a clock appeared on the screen. Subtle sound cues noted every shooting star without interrupting such a contemplative moment. As a result, hundreds of spectators shared their amazement through comments.

Supporting Channels

This initiative did not use the support of any traditional media.

The Results

More than 500 people tuned in to watch the Facebook Live event throughout the evening. That's impressive for a post published at such a late hour. Moreover, people didn't just watch but also interacted with the content. There were a total of 1,100 comments and 691 shares. The video that was posted in the following days generated 348,000 views. In the end, what started as a three hour Facebook Live event reached an impressive 725,000 people. That's nearly 1 in 10 Quebecers, a rate 4 times higher than the industry average. The post also managed to reach 72% of Loto-Québec's Facebook followers. All of that for a budget of less than $20,000.