McCann Calgary Turns Pickle Craze into Cash Prize with Lotto Spot’s 'Not a Pickle'

​McCann Calgary has launched 'Not a Pickle', a campaign for Lotto Spot, featuring a new scratch and win ticket – DILLS TO BILLS – that leverages the current pickle craze.

And while the card smells so much like pickles that it might be confusing for people who could mistake it for the real deal, we can confirm it isn’t a pickle…but it could win you one of 10 prizes of $10,000.

“McCann Calgary partnered closely with Lotto Spot to develop a playful Scratch & Win concept inspired by a trending cultural moment. Leaning on the nostalgic familiarity of scratch and sniff stickers and the popularity of pickles, we brought to market a dill pickle scented Scratch & Win ticket,” said Teela Lynn, brand manager. “With DILLS TO BILLS, McCann reinforced the lottery as a lighthearted escape. Starting with an innovative scented product and curiosity-driving ads, we reminded players to enjoy a little moment of fun and play Scratch & Win.”

“Pickles are having a moment amongst millennials and gen z. We wanted to tap into this trend in a way that was true to pickle lovers,” said Jordan Finlayson, senior copywriter. “From the ‘Not a Pickle’ concept to name to design to making it actually smell like pickles, our team loved collaborating with our partners at Lotto Spot to turn this this scratch n’ sniff dill into a big dill.”

“We wanted our design approach to reflect the playfulness and humour of the ticket. This guided our visual direction, from the concept to our bold yet soft colour palette, and diner-inspired photography,” said Justin Tabakian, senior art director. “The visual humour and absurdity that comes with having a Pickle as your brand mascot is something we intentionally embraced through our design approach to standout in a visually cluttered category."

The campaign runs August 11 – September 5 in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan with DOOH, Print OOH, Scratch & Sniff wild postings in Calgary and Edmonton from August 18, Audio Ad (Spotify), Social (Meta, Snapchat, TikTok), Netflix and Snapchat AR Lens.