Allwyn UK Reminds The Nation That, This Christmas It Could Be You

Allwyn UK, operator of The National Lottery, today unveiled its first brand-led Christmas campaign since becoming operator, backed by an integrated programme spanning TV, OOH, cinema, digital, retail and creator partnerships.

Running for 10 weeks from this coming weekend (7 November) through to early January, the campaign, ‘This Christmas It Could Be You’, captures the magic, optimism and sense of possibility that make Christmas a uniquely special time – with a little extra belief the seemingly impossible might be possible.

Bringing to life The National Lottery's ‘Amazing Things Happen When You Believe’ brand campaign, it reminds players that something extraordinary could happen to anyone, and that their Lotto ticket could be the one that changes everything.

Developed by Allwyn UK’s creative agency of record, VCCP, and supported by Studio 59, Allwyn's in-house agency team, with media strategy and buying led by Hearts United, the campaign is led by a new hero TV ad. Directed by Tim McNaughton, through Arts & Sciences in collaboration with VCCP’s global content creation studio Girl&Bear, with VFX and post production by Framestore, the wintry festive spot 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.”

Alongside the campaign's hero advertising, Claudia will also front two brand-new ‘Because Of You’ Good Causes storytelling films made by The Gate, meeting the people behind National Lottery-funded projects across the UK and sharing stories of community, creativity and opportunity. The stories will bring to life the real-world impact of National Lottery funding and reinforce the connection between every ticket played and the projects it helps support.

And the festive fun doesn’t stop there. Throughout Christmas, National Lottery players can look forward to a host of special Lotto and EuroMillions draws, alongside a range of festive Scratchcards available in retail and digital Instant Win Games, offering even more ways to get involved in the seasonal fun.

A major partnership with LADbible will also help tell campaign stories to younger audiences through a mix of festive-themed social content. Featuring Rizzle Kicks star and bestselling author, Jordan Stephens, the series will explore stories of winners and National Lottery-funded Good Cause projects showing how belief, opportunity and a little bit of luck can lead to extraordinary outcomes.

The partnership will be extended through a network of creators, who will follow the journey of a National Lottery ticket to discover how it helps Good Causes across the UK. By asking people a simple question, "What do you believe in?", they will uncover authentic stories that bring the impact of National Lottery funding to life.

The festive activity has been designed to unite the full portfolio under a single Christmas platform. This will see all of the special event draws across The National Lottery’s range of draw games, as well as seasonal instants games all using the universal ‘This Christmas It Could Be You’ tagline and imagery.

By combining brand storytelling, prize-led excitement, creator partnerships and Good Causes content, the campaign aims to drive relevance during the year's biggest cultural moment and reinforce the unique role The National Lottery plays in communities across the UK.

Additional activity includes:

Nationwide large-format roadside and roadside digital sites.

Special Christmas-themed OOH builds designed to create "real-world sparkle".

Presence in high-profile locations including Piccadilly Lights and major city-centre screens.

In retail, the campaign will reach players in over 40,000 National Lottery outlets through a festive programme of point-of-sale activity, standout displays and in-store media, bringing the campaign message closer to players during the busy Christmas shopping period.

Steve Parkinson, Marketing and Brand Director at Allwyn, said: “'This Christmas It Could Be You’ is our biggest-ever campaign to date and the first to bring the entire National Lottery portfolio together under a single Christmas platform. Building on the successful return of the original ‘It Could Be You’ last year, the campaign taps into the magic, optimism and possibility that make Christmas such a special time of year.

"At its heart, The National Lottery is all about belief. It's that moment when you ask yourself, 'What if?' Whether that's imagining how a win could change your life, or seeing the extraordinary impact National Lottery funding has on communities across the UK.

"Every ticket played goes towards helping generate more than £33m for Good Causes each week, while also creating life-changing winners. This campaign celebrates those moments of possibility and reminds players that, this Christmas, it really could be you.”

Simon Connor, Deputy Executive Creative Director at VCCP, said: "Do you remember that feeling you used to feel every Christmas Eve? That unwavering belief that something amazing was about to happen.

"At the heart of this wonderful campaign for The National Lottery is a timeless story that reignites that memory, a mini-Christmas movie about belief that we hope leaps into the hearts of everyone, everywhere.

"Because at Christmas especially, seemingly impossible things happen. Things like flying reindeer and winning the lottery. But, for that to happen, first, you must believe.”

Simon Carr, Chief Strategy Officer, Hearts United UK said: “This is Allwyn UK's biggest-ever Christmas campaign for The National Lottery, and our media plan matches that ambition at every level. We’re creating a genuine national moment from day one, reaching 79% of UK adults aged 18+ in the first week alone and 51m across the campaign, making the magic of ‘This Christmas It Could Be You’ impossible to miss.

“Our media plan dovetails seamlessly with the festive season, putting The National Lottery at the heart of the moments that make Christmas special. Whether you’re enjoying seasonal content, on the high street picking up last-minute gifts, or scrolling social for inspiration, our message will be front and centre of the festive experience.

“From lighting up London’s West End with Piccadilly Lights and sharing inspiring Good Causes stories, to building excitement around our biggest game events, we’re bringing that sense of magic, belief and possibility to life wherever people are enjoying Christmas.”

Credits:

Campaign Title: This Christmas It Could Be You

Client: Allwyn UK
Brand and Marketing Director: Steve Parkinson
Brand Director: Anna McInally
Head of Brand: Natalie Littlechild
Head of Product: Sophie Morgan
Senior Marketing Manager: Joshua Bailes

Agency: VCCP
Global Chief Creative Officer: Darren Bailes
Deputy Executive Creative Director: Simon Connor
Senior Creative Team: Laurens Grainger & Alicia Cliffe
Group Planning Director: Joe Miller
Managing Director: Hannah Fitz-Gerald
Business Director: Roxanne Courtman
  Account Director: Emira Grbac
Account Executive: Miles Seymour

Agency Production: Girl&Bear
Senior TV Producer: David Vass
Integrated Creative Producers: Emma Mitchell, Crystal Matthews & James West
  Integrated Project Director: Romana Kit
Head of Broadcast Affairs: Alexia Collins
Broadcast Affairs Manager: Martin Eels
TV Production Assistant: Nathan Lake

Production Company: Arts&Sciences
Director: Tim McNaughton
MD & Executive Producer: James Bland
Producer: Ewen Brown
DOP: Joost Van Gelder
1st AD: Jim Cole
Production Designer: Jamie Lapsley
Casting Director: Clare Catterson
Service Production Company: Tartan Door

Edit House: Work Editorial
Editor: Art Jones
Edit Assistant: Owen Fitzpatrick
Editorial Executive Producer: Frankie Elster
Editorial Producer: Ella Marafini

Post Production Company: Framestore
Head of Animation: Brad Silby
VFX Supervisor: William Laban
Head of Flame / VFX Supervisor: Daniel Lorenzini
CG Supervisor: Henrique De Oliveira Campanha
Head of Rigging: Brad Noble
Head of Groom & CFX: Gabriela Ruch Salmeron
Executive Producer: Kayleigh Dugdale
VFX Producer: Robyn Goncalves-Borrageiro
Production Assistant: Maya Manor
Asset Artists: Khaled Sabry, Billy Butler, Elpida Kyriakou, Leo Schrieber
Rigging Artist: Nathan Clark
Layout Artists: Alex Charilaou, Zoe Woods
LookDev & Lighting Artists: William Laban, Henrique De Oliveira Campanha, Pedrom Dadgostar
FX Artist: Philip Child, Maxim Gehricke
CFX + Groom Artists: Gabriela Ruch Salmeron, Natasha Santiparp, Nolwenn Raballand, Patrik Hanti
Animation Artists: James Wilson, George Carman, Bharat Ghour, Divyesh Shah
Compositing Lead: Matt Shires
Compositing Artists: Darran Nicholson, Min-Hui Chang, Alice Locuratolo
VisDev Artist: Denis Matsimouna, Maxwell Lane
Editorial: Andrew Fineberg, Humberto Reynaga

Colour House: Company3
Senior Colourist: Jean-Clément Soret
Colourist: Dominic Phipps
Co-Managing Director: Ellora Soret
Senior Colour Producer: Chris Anthony

Audio Post House: 750
Sound Design & Mix: Sam Ashwell
Executive Producer: Olivia Ray
Head of Production: Rachel Saxon

Music Company: SIREN
Music Supervisors: Sian Rogers, Alice Barker and Josh Gibbard
Composer: Chris White
Conductor / Orchestrator: Peter Michael Davison
Orchestrator: Danny Keane
Recorded at Air Edel Studios

Media Agency: Hearts United

Chief Strategy Officer: Simon Carr

Chief Planning Officer: Tessa LeGassick

Managing Partner: Chris Evans

Client Partner: John Payne

Business Director: Ben Rutherford

Senior Connections Planning Director: George Viner-Price

Strategy Director: Alex Rubins

Global Content Creation Studio: Girl&Bear

Designer: Clary Vikstrom, Tegan Barnes, Lee Bodell, Leila Amin

Artworkers: Scott Mitchell, Paul Craig, Lee Forster
Post Producer: Noah Thompson
Editors: Fernando Vera, Teresa Tang, Stefan Jerome