NZ Lotteries launches touching tale of a ‘Lucky Dog’ with a 150sec epic via DDB New Zealand
The new campaign for Lotto, via DDB New Zealand, is spearheaded by two and a half minute commercial featuring a touching story of sailor Russell andhis loyal dog Wilson who discover on the My Lotto site that theirregular Powerball ticket is the big one!
Now all they need to do is gethome. However, fate has other plans. Combining strong storytelling, asprinkling of exotic locations and a brilliant performance by “Wilson”this is an epic tale of incredible loyalty at its best.
The campaign breaks down into subsequent shorter versions. Meanwhile the Powerballcampaign continues the winning story with six spots showing you howthings turned out after that.
Shot by Steve Ayson and DoP Geoffrey Simpson the cinematic spotfeatures a soundtrack sung by Australian legend Nick Cave. This is thefirst time Cave has allowed his unique voice to be used on a commercial.
Client: NZ Lotteries
Title: Lucky Dog
Agency: DDB New Zealand
Group Executive Creative Director: Toby Talbot
Deputy Creative Director: Regan Grafton
Art Director: Regan Grafton, Gavin Siakimotu, Brett Colliver
Copywriter: Natalie Knight
Group Business Director: Aimee McCammon
Account Director: Jenny Travers
Executive Producer: Judy Thompson
TV Producer: Tania Jeram
Director: Steve Ayson
Producer: Claire Kelly
Production Company: The Sweet Shop
DOP: Geoffrey Simpson
Dog Trainers: Caroline Girdlestone & James Delaney
Offline editor: Jack Hutchings from The Butchery
Post Production: Animal Logic
Music: “To Be By Your Side” by Nick Cave
Sound Design: Jon Cooper at Liquid Studios
NZ Lotteries: Todd McLeay, Warren Salisbury, Wendy Rayner, Natalie Kennerley, Aroha Fuggle
53 Comments
It’s perfect for Lotto – you wait and wait… and are left disappointed in the end.
Nice production for sure.
Like it a lot. Storytelling a little bit nothing… No setup of relationships between the dog and owner, nor the hobo at the end. But nicely executed otherwise.
Jesus that would have cost a fortune. Should have just sent every kiwi a $10 ticket to remind them what they are missing.
Dog was cute though.
Love that song.
Nick Cave selling his songs for telly ads. What a sell out.
How many times did you have to zap the dog with a cattle prod to stop him eating the winning ticket?
Why does the dog have to be in India? Moving through NZ would’ve made a more relevant story.
I think it’s good. Agree about the story arc though. So much time on the dog’s journey yet no payoff at the end. Blink and you’ll miss the bum feeding him and then it suddenly makes no sense at all. Dog pulls at the heartstrings though
well this is going to set cat/dog relations back another 20 years.
That wasnt India 2.11 that was a trip down Dominion Road
Big ads like this with one big pay off at the end rather than amusing and fun things all the way through are just not re-watchable.
Re the last blog, the Powerball ads continue the story of the homeless guy and the dog. I saw them. Awesome.
I loved it until the end.
I’m growing tired of end gags.
Love it – nice work!
Cave wasn’t a good choice. The lyrics may have googled promisingly, but it was a bleak ride.
Nothing not to like. Good story, good performance by the dog, great music and a shite load of money thrown at it – just like the late-80s/early 90s Saatchi extravaganzas. Refreshing. Well done.
Cave was a brilliant choice. They could so easily have put happy clappy, upbeat music on it, but instead they went for emotional, melancholy and poignant. Makes this so much better. Respect to agency and client for giving it a fresher feel.
Win.
Fucking great.
Well shot, art directors wet dream but will it make you buy a lotto ticket?
I loved it. A great little story. Plus people are crazy about cute animals, me included.
The dogs plan all along was to steal the ticket and travel the world away from the totalitarian regime of his owner.
After spending all his winnings escaping reality on a bender of Blow and Peyote, the washed up Wilson traveled back to NZ only to realise that really reality had escaped him.
Nick Cave. WOW!
Have to agree with 7.20. Nick Cave is an odd pick.
The song seems to work pretty good for the journey, but fails to deliver for the finish. The idea a bit mainstream for the song?
This is the single most self-indulgant thing I’ve ever seen disguised as advertising. What a lot of money and energy and hype for something that doesn’t even get me excited about gambling. And I LOVE gambling.
2.44 – you’re a fucktard.
faithless little mutt. So lets get this straight. the ticket is actually bad luck for the owner (who loses his dog) & the dog (vice versa). ‘Lotto ruined my life’. great message. But then again – according to Harry Calighan – “opinions are like assholes – everybody’s got one.” Jut glad I’m a cat person.
The dog fell through a time warp. i think the hobo is the owner, down on his luck many years later.
Product up front. Great story. Cute animal. Well told. Beautiful pictures. Twist at the end. In years to come, you’ll all look back and consider this a classic. Well done to all those finding fault though, it would’ve taken a bit more thought than usual.
1991 called. They want their ad back.
good use of digital – oh wait…
7:17- It could be worse. It could be as unoriginal and overused as that joke of yours.
Hang your head. Or, even better, yourself.
3.37 yes I agree – we will look back in years to come and consider this a classic. But the lesson will be that dinosaurs of rock’n’roll advertising approach to making a ‘great piece of film’ was doomed. There was no future in agency reel overdoses like this with no idea other then being the shaggy dog vehcile for a feeble twist at the end. Where’s the campaignability – husband leaves wife? Child falls overboard? (consider Telecom spot for a moment) Where’s the digital interaction ‘choose where the dog goes next’, join the dog’s facebook page? I have to agree with 7.20. Once the client scrutinises the resulting (lack of) sales uplift atributable to this ad versus the media cost of running it, and production bill for making it and the vague impact it’ll have on brand image and likeability metrics. Bits of the business will definitley be breaking free.
To recap…
Have to agree with 3:37, it’s sweet as and watchable as all hell. I cant see why people think Nick Cave is not appropriate, it is supposed to be heart stringy and the lyrics tell the story well. Probably people are a bit pissed off like I am, I wanted to use Cave for something a few months back but couldn’t pull it off. And they used it better.
And “See you at the pitch”!? Doodle.
I wish 8:50 hadn’t burned 7:17 already, Sinefield called..
So…he’s way out at sea and checking out his mylotto – my first thought was why wouldn’t he have got an online ticket?
but, I’m a sucker for cute animal ads… so i like it anyway.
Ads like this make me proud to be part of the best agencies in New Zealand. Forever loyal to you DDB 🙂 Now let’s keep it cranking.
Thank God for your comments. I’m sure Toby, DDB, Steve, the Sweetshop the NZ Lotteries Commission and Nick Cave are all taking it on board and giving ten fucks what you think.
Nice one Paul..
Well said Paul
Fucking great work DDB
Your mum called. She wants her 180 seconds back.
Good call Paul. I’d put on my reel in a second. And the missus liked it when she saw it last night. She knows EVERYTHING.
Hi.
I have absolutely no opinion on the advertisement.
Thanks for your time.
I completely disagree with 12.25 how could you get it so wrong
I completely disagree with 7:20 How could you have nothing better to comment on?
I heart Paul Taylor
I think itsa lovely clever add, I love that dog, and Id give hme a home anyday, ticket or no ticket
Anyone know who the homeless guy actor is? Looks a bit like Jeffrey Thomas?
Millionaire slumdog left in India
They call him Wilson the Lotto dog, star of a $2.5 million taxpayer-funded advertisement in which he travels the world to return a winning ticket to his master.
Except he didn’t.
It has emerged the wire fox terrier was left in India after filming for the advert because quarantine rules meant it was too much trouble to get him back to New Zealand.
Can someone settle an argument my partner and I have over this ad everytime it screens. Is the homeless man, played by the same actor as Wilson’s original owner.
me and my dad are having the same arguement – please confirm this!!!
I reckon the homeless guy is played by Chris leifting
I think the homeless guy is played by Chris leifting
Hey does anybody know the name of the electro song being played on one of the ads where the homless man is in a tenis court and hes throwing tennis balls for wilson??
the hob is gorgeous!!!
who is he?
i want to know the music score,.plays when they’re speeding thru the water on that flash boat
anyone?