Fingers Crossed: How the National Lottery Is Encouraging Britain to Look Up

As England celebrates the Lionesses' historic Euros victory, and music fans revisit their Britpop heydays on the Oasis tour, the National Lottery is joining in with the party and doing their bit to spread some joy and optimism around the UK.

A new campaign sees the lottery’s iconic crossed fingers logo brought to life as giant sculptures around Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. The first is a balloon structure stands at a staggering seven metres tall, representing a metre for each new millionaire The National Lottery makes on average every week. The supersized Fingers Crossed has been suspended above landmarks that have benefitted from lottery funding, including the Natural History Museum, Old Royal Naval College, the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium.

MHP Group is the creative and media relations agency and Branded handled the production. The campaign follows the success of global lottery operator Allwyn winning the contract to run the UK’s National Lottery. According to Allwyn’s communication director Gillian Taylor, the team were keen to make a strong statement.

“Since Allwyn became operator of The National Lottery in February last year, we’ve been on a journey of transformation, focusing on responsible growth and making the brand feel more relevant,” she says. "While crossed fingers are our distinctive brand asset, they are also the universal symbol of hope and optimism. Crossing your fingers inspires you to believe that it could all work out - that it could be you. This feeling can be magical, as it’s such a powerful emotion. It’s this fingers-crossed-feeling we want to inspire and spread across the nation, and our brand asset is the perfect vehicle to enable us to do so."

That relevance was found within the brand’s distinctive logo, at a time when the UK needs a bit of optimism. “We’re having somewhat of a blockbuster summer. Unifying moments such as the record levels of sunshine, the excitement around the return of Oasis, and of course the Lionesses being crowned European Champions, has sparked a surge in national levels of optimism,” says Gillian. "This feel-good summer couldn’t be more timely, as our insights show that only a third of consumers would describe the UK as feeling hopeful, given ongoing macro-economic pressures and geopolitical instability.

"In a time when shared moments of optimism can boost and uplift the nation, the fingers crossed installations celebrate the power of hope in bringing people together and inspire more people to continue believing."

Keen to grab attention and give people a boost in their daily lives, outdoor was the obvious medium for the campaign. Indeed, as Gillian points out, these sculptures encourage people to do the ultimate act of optimism - look up.

“Our goal was to create striking imagery that would immediately grab people’s attention and provide a renewed sense of optimism. We chose iconic locations such as Wembley stadium and the National History Museum as they are instantly recognisable and give a sense of scale, while also creating a link to projects that benefit from National Lottery funding. We were also mindful that the simple act of looking up or towards the sky contributes towards a more positive outlook. That’s why in several of the images, the crossed fingers feature in the skyline, which could only be achieved outdoors. “

Of course, transporting, installing and photographing seven metre tall sculptures was never going to be straightforward - not least in the UK, known for its unpredictable weather. "We had to account for high winds, public safety, and access restrictions at each site. It was a true collaborative effort,” says Gillian.

Importantly, the campaign involves iconic sites that have benefitted from lottery funding.

“Every week National Lottery players raise more than £30 million for good causes across the UK. Funding goes towards sports, arts, heritage, and community projects, transforming the lives of individuals and bringing amazing initiatives to life. It’s so important to remind players of the incredible contribution they make every time they buy a ticket – without them, none of this is possible.”