Start Thinking Like a Mega Millionaire

When the price of Mega Millions lottery went from $2 to $5, New Yorkers complained.

So, we embraced the backlash and turned the price increase into a reason to play. The new price meant more mega jackpots more often, so everyone could think like a Mega Millionaire more often too.

When the price of a Mega Millions ticket was raised from $2 to $5, it made national news and was met with disappointment, especially with New Yorkers.

So rather than ignore the reaction, we took it head on and reframed the price increase as a reason to play – because an increase in price meant more mega jackpots, more often. Which meant everyone’s favorite reason to play Mega Millions would happen more often too: that moment when you believe you’re holding a winning ticket and start thinking and dreaming like a Mega Millionaire.

Our campaign used humor to tap into that moment- not with typical fantasies of private jets or mega mansions, but with hilariously specific New York-style musings on the logistics of living like a Mega Millionaire.

While aiming for strong sales during a time of economic pressure felt ambitious, New Yorkers weren’t discouraged. The work ushered in a new wave of sales success for the New York Lottery and Mega Millions game with preliminary results indicating a 44% lift in sales vs the prior Mega Millions game.