Allwyn Celebrates the Role of National Lottery Players in Team GB’s and ParalympicsGB Success

Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, has today debuted ‘Paris 2024’ with its creative partner, Leo Burnett UK, in collaboration with media agency, Hearts & Science.

This is the first campaign by Allwyn for The National Lottery parent brand, celebrating the positive impact of Good Causes funding on the nation, raised by National Lottery players – in this case, providing vital funding for Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes to allow them train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology, science and medical support. 

Launching the National Lottery brand promise, ‘Changing Lives Every Day’, the uplifting campaign aims to inspire the nation and raise awareness about the collective power of National Lottery players and this unique role that they play in supporting the dreams of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The fully integrated campaign spans TV, VOD, online, digital display, OOH, social, radio, audio, digital and in-store in Allwyn’s 40,000 retail partners. It features a distinctive new brand world for The National Lottery, bringing a fresh and active feel through dynamic animation across all channels.

It leads with 30 and 20-second TV spots depicting the seemingly small act of playing The National Lottery – highlighting how every ticket purchased has a huge impact. Set to a composed track, inspirational archive footage of athletes competing at previous Games is paired with footage of players getting their National Lottery tickets. The creative draws visual and storytelling parallels to bring to life the role that every National Lottery player has in contributing to the athletes’ success, simply by buying a ticket.

Placing The National Lottery at the heart of the action, Leo Burnett and Hearts & Science have also developed a supplementary campaign that will see custom assets created in reaction to the live events of the Olympics and Paralympics. Spanning social and digital OOH, the assets will celebrate the athletes’ successes – from individual medal wins, to exciting moments from both the opening and closing ceremonies.

The video campaign will go live across TV on ITV, C4, Sky, and Eurosport UK channels from Thursday 18th July alongside VOD & online video with Radio, OOH and Social activity then launching alongside the Olympics opening ceremony and running throughout the entirety of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, ending on 8th September. Standouts will be social media takeovers to celebrate conversation around the Games on opening ceremony nights and sponsorship of Team GB and ParalympicsGB viewing areas, as well as Games highlights on large format screens in cities across the country.

Hearts & Science’s media plan also factors in a partnership with Global across its radio network and podcasts that incorporate exclusive interviews with the Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes who have received funding from The National Lottery, as well as competitions with prizes including tickets to the two National Lottery Homecoming arena shows.

In addition to the above-the-line campaign, Allwyn is carrying out a huge amount of additional activity to support the Paris Games:

The National Lottery has teamed up with Channel 4 on ‘Path to Paris’ – two fly-on-the-wall documentaries which air on 20th July (Team GB) and 24th August (ParalympicsGB), and which provide a unique insight into the journeys of nine athletes and the sacrifices they make to be able to compete for Olympic or Paralympic gold.

Allwyn is working with the specialist sports PR agency, Run Communications, to deliver an editorial campaign which delivers authentic storytelling to demonstrate the link between playing The National Lottery and powering Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes to be their best. 

Run will also be driving visibility for the ‘ChangeMaker’ initiative, delivered in partnership with the BOA, BPA and UK Sport. The social impact campaign will support returning Olympians and Paralympians to go back into their communities post Games and make a difference to a cause close to their heart.

The summer-long campaign will then reach its finale with two huge arena shows to celebrate the nation’s heroes. The National Lottery’s Team GB and ParalympicsGB Homecoming shows will be held in Manchester and Birmingham respectively, with tens of thousands of tickets available exclusively for National Lottery players. Set against the backdrop of magical moments from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, these landmark events will combine the worlds of music, entertainment and sport to celebrate our amazing athletes. Freuds are delivering an editorial and content-focused campaign to maximise the impact of the events.

Steve Parkinson, brand and marketing director at Allwyn, said: “Every four years, the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games provide us with an incredible opportunity to celebrate the truly authentic and pivotal role that National Lottery players have in supporting our awe-inspiring Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes.

“Through the simple act of buying a National Lottery ticket, players are supporting our Olympians and Paralympians on their amazing journeys. And we aim to build on that through our ‘super supporter’ approach – literally shouting our encouragement for our athletes from the rooftops every step of the way, in real-time and in highly impactful, relevant ways.”

Mark Elwood, chief creative officer, Leo Burnett UK, said: “The National Lottery is a wonderful part of British life, but the nation can be unaware of just how much of an impact their support has had on the success of our Olympic and Paralympic champions. This work – and the wider, summer-long campaign – will hopefully remind the nation of their role in supporting Team GB’s and ParalympicsGB's finest.”

Simon Carr, chief strategy officer at Hearts & Science, said: “This campaign stands for everything the Olympics and Paralympics does, it is designed to bring people together in an inclusive and authentic way. Consequently, we’re focusing on the people behind the medals, both on and off the track. As well as telling the athletes’ stories, we’re showcasing – in real time – the important role the British public plays in supporting Team GB and ParalympicsGB through every National Lottery ticket sold.”