The California Lottery's ad agency, David&Goliath, has published some ads for the launch of the Powerball game in that state that seem sure to cause offense.
They use one-armed surfer Bethany Hamilton, the women's suffrage movement, the moon landing, and the fall of the Berlin Wall to suggest that players ought to just "believe" and perhaps their dreams will come true.
The ads are part of a teaser campaign for the Powerball, the agency says:
This tease has no mention of the Lottery. The reason for this is to ensure credibility and make sure that consumers don't feel like they are being sold to -- to give them an opportunity to just savor the word. So when they eventually find out who the message is coming from they will respect the brand even more.
Once the campaign's "credibility" is established, it will move into a second phase:
The second phase is the launch of the tagline, "Believe in Something Bigger."
But "Believe in Something Bigger" isn't just a tagline, it's a mindset - one that inspires people to think beyond what's possible. To be part of a movement of optimism and larger-than-life dreams, and to serve as a filter for the Lottery and the people who play.
Whether consumers will agree that playing the Powerball is exactly like the fall of communism or women gaining the vote is an open question.
California's women want equal rights ... to play Powerball?
The fall of the Berlin Wall ... Jackpot!
One small step for man ... but a giant leap for lottery players in California.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.