And then there was one — the winner. As first predicted days ago, Downtown Partners/Chicago, in conjunction with digital partner Critical Mass/Chicago, has prevailed in the review to select a new ad agency of record for the Illinois Lottery.
In announcing the winner Wednesday afternoon, Lottery superintendent Michael Jones said “the Lottery looks forward for ways to work closely with Downtown Partners/Critical Mass to maximize revenue to the state in an ethical and socially responsible fashion.”
Other executives associated with the agency review also were quick to praise all the agencies who participated.
“The caliber of the work and strategic thinking we received during the selection process were off the charts,” said Jessica Powell, vice-president of marketing for Lottery private manager Northstar Lottery Group. “We challenged agencies to radically redefine our brand, and they delivered,” added Powell
Downtown Partners creative prevailed over co-finalist DDB
Downtown Partners succeeds Energy BBDO/Chicago, which was removed from the account shortly after Jones took over as Lottery superintendent last October.
Energy BBDO initially was part of the consortium known as Northstar Lottery Group that won the Illinois Lottery’s first-ever private management contract in September of 2010.
In the agency review that launched in November, 2011, Downtown Partners won out over co-finalist DDB/Chicago, which — had it wound up in the winner’s circle — could have pointed to the victory as a compelling sign the agency’s turnaround is gathering steam under recently-arrived CEO Peter McGuinness and chief creative Ewan Paterson.
One source at DDB said the losing shop was “proud of the work it put forward,” and also said the agency was confident the work it presented in the pitch “would have worked” for the Lottery.
But the Lottery’s five-person evaluation panel that ranked the creative pitches apparently concluded the Downtown Partners creative concepts would work better.
Downtown competed with 13 top shops
Downtown Partners initially competed with 13 other shops that responded to the RFP for the agency review. That group of 13 was whittled to five semifinalists, which eventually became only four after Young & Rubicam/Chicago abruptly and unexpectedly bowed out before the all-important creative pitches earlier this month.
Y&R was believed to have been a top-ranked contender before it left the competition, sources say, to devote time and resources to other accounts it was pitching.
Though it is not Chicago’s best-known nor its most high-profile advertising agency, Downtown Partners is recognized within local ad circles as fully capable of delivering a topnotch creative product. And it has demonstrated as much time and time again.
Over the years Downtown Partners has shown via work for clients as diverse as Walgreens and Northern Trust and Lyric Opera of Chicago that it’s not about the size of the ad budget, but rather the quality of the ideas that drive the advertising. Though it by no means avoids using wit in its work, Downtown Partners is not a shop known for featuring broad, slapstick humor in its executions.
“Edith and Ellen” exemplifies agency’s sensibilities
That overarching philosophy most recently was exemplified in a Walgreens commercial to herald the drug store behemoth’s annual flu shot service. The spot starred identical twins named Edith and Ellen.
In a mere 30 seconds, the two septuagenarian twins and first-time performers (though you’d never know it) simply talked to the camera and to each other — quickly and easily and amusingly making manifest their distinctive personalities and the unique nature of their rapport with each other. And not to worry, the spot still managed to deliver the flu shot message loud and clear.
“Edith and Ellen” promptly became a national audience favorite, despite the absence of over-the-top special effects or gratingly-coarse humor that so many TV spots depend on nowadays to attract attention.
Simple and smart and, on occasion, deeply emotional is the way Jim Schmidt and Joe Stuart, the top creative honchos at Downtown Partners, prefer to operate. Schmidt could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.
Downtown’s style a good fit with superintendent Jones’
The Downtown Partners style of advertising should mesh well with the creative sensibilities of Lottery superintendent Michael Jones, who, make no mistake, will be where the buck stops as the Illinois Lottery moves forward with its marketing efforts and seeks to broaden the base of Lottery players.
Like Schmidt and Stuart, Jones is a fan of smart advertising that is both artful and message-driven. Jones first developed that reputation during his first stint as Illinois Lottery superintendent in the early 1980’s, and he has spent years since then consulting with other lottery operations nationally and internationally on how to better market themselves.
Jones and DP are sure to be challenged, if, as has been threatened, Illinois moves forward with a suggested plan to increase the number of casinos in the state. Then the need for superb marketing of the Lottery will become more critical than ever.
Downtown Partners is expected to unveil its first campaign for the Illinois Lottery on or around February 8.
Contact Lewis Lazare at: LewisL3@aol.com.
