National Lottery retailers across the UK are set to benefit from Allwyn UK's first brand-led Christmas campaign for The National Lottery.
Running for 10 weeks from 7 November through to early January, ‘This Christmas It Could Be You’ is backed by an integrated programme spanning TV, out-of-home, cinema, digital, retail and creator partnerships, designed to drive player engagement, increase store visits and support sales throughout the busy Christmas trading period.
The campaign is led by a new hero TV ad that tells the story of a reindeer, who dreams of flying after watching a robin take to the skies. Refusing to let an early setback stand in his way, the reindeer perseveres and ultimately achieves the seemingly impossible.
Witnessing the magical moment, a nearby rambler is inspired by what he’s seen, prompting him to reach for his National Lottery ticket in a moment of possibility.
The National Lottery’s Ambassador-in-Chief, Claudia Winkleman, delivers the closing sign-off in the TV advert: “Amazing Things Happen When You Believe. This Christmas It Could Be You.”
Christmas is traditionally one of the most important trading periods of the year for National Lottery retailers, and this year's activity has been designed to drive awareness of the full National Lottery portfolio, including Lotto, EuroMillions and Scratchcards.
Approximately 41,000 National Lottery retail outlets will be supported by enhanced festive point-of-sale materials, standout displays and in-store media, helping retailers capture shoppers' attention and maximise sales opportunities during the busy Christmas season.
The National Lottery's festive Scratchcard range is expected to be a key feature of this year's Christmas offering, with research showing that 75% of players are likely to gift Scratchcards during the festive season. Leading the range is the premium £10 ‘When It's Gold Outside’ Scratchcard, which offers players 37 chances to win and four top prizes of £4m.
Alongside it is a range of festive games across multiple price points, including 'Christmas Countdown’, ‘Frosty Fortunes’, ‘Tinsel Trail’, ‘Feastive Fortunes’ and ‘Just to Say’, helping retailers meet demand for stocking fillers, Christmas card inserts and festive gifts, while earning 6% commission on every Scratchcard sale.Retailers can also look forward to a packed schedule of major Lotto and EuroMillions events throughout the festive period.
Following the launch of Lotto's new two-round format earlier this year, two £12m Lotto Must Be Won draws are scheduled for 21 November and 23 December. Meanwhile, a EuroMillions Super Jackpot draw estimated at £109m is due to take place on 4 December, followed by two 10 UK Millionaire events on Christmas Day and 29 December.
Independent retailers also have the chance to share in the festive celebrations through Allwyn's retailer Advent Calendar. Running from 1 to 25 December on the TNL Partners Hub, the calendar offers more than 5,000 prizes worth a combined £50,000. Retailers can win daily prizes of up to £250, while each window opened also earns an entry into a Festive Finale draw featuring 10 prizes of £1,000. To promote responsible play during the festive season, Allwyn is also rolling out a Christmas Gift Responsibly programme across National Lottery channels.
Activity includes a dedicated section on The National Lottery Responsible Play page, retailer communications, updated messaging on in-store digital screens, bespoke responsible gifting creative across social media channels, and the inclusion of the '18+ Gift Responsibly' mark across all gifting-related festive advertising, alongside responsible play messaging within seasonal Scratchcard advertising.
The initiative reinforces the message that National Lottery products can only be bought, gifted, received and played by people aged 18 or over, while providing practical guidance for players and retailers during the busy Christmas period.
Bridget Lea, Managing Director – Retail at Allwyn, said: "Christmas is such an important time of year for our retail partners. We know that strong awareness and excitement can make a real difference during the festive trading period.
"This year, we're backing The National Lottery with a major festive marketing campaign designed to drive excitement across the full portfolio of games and make it part of the UK's Christmas celebrations."
"From our heartwarming new Christmas advert and nationwide media campaign to in-store activity, a fantastic range of festive Scratchcards and major Lotto and EuroMillions events, everything has been designed to capture people's imagination and inspire them to believe that amazing things can happen.
"Together, these activities will help retailers make the most of the festive trading period, all the while bringing the magic of The National Lottery to communities across the UK through Good Cause funding."