Maryland Lottery:
2021 Holiday Campaign

Santa?

As the long-time creative agency for the Maryland Lottery, GKV faces the annual challenge of promoting the Lottery’s Holiday Scratch-Off games in a unique and interesting way every year.

The agency in partnership with the Lottery’s Creative Services group looks to create a little Holiday magic by reading the mood of the audience and creates a concept that will resonate with adult Marylanders in a way that matches the times. For instance an epic feel good spot using the Drifters “This Magic Moment” worked in 2018, a diverse gathering of family and neighbors energized fo some hidden scratch-offs matched the mood in 2019 and during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, mask wearing carolers serenading the neighborhood in an impromptu car parade fit the season.

For the 2021 campaign, the agency turned to humor to lighten the mood as families big and small try to return to a “normal” Christmas.

In Santa, our hero couple wake to noises and head down from the bedroom to see what could be the matter.  Lo and behold, it turns out to be Santa. Stuck in the chimney perhaps from a little extra weight gained in quarantine. Our couple, and the fireman called to help,  quickly forget jolly Santa as their attention turns to Holiday Scratch-Offs.