The Bobbsey Twins directed the film, which follows main character Mo as he celebrates a lottery win – followed by the disastrous escape of the ticket as it’s caught in a gust of wind. As it makes its bid for freedom down the road and through a busy marketplace, Mo amasses a gang of followers, all intent on helping him catch the stray slip of paper.

There’s plenty of moments for humour along the way, from the stall-holder barrelling into his crates of oranges, to the drama of a street sweeper who’s actually moving at a snail’s pace. “The moment we had the idea about someone losing their winning ticket, it felt rather special,” says Ben Tollett, adam&eveDDB group executive creative director. “All we had to do was hold onto it really, really tightly and not let go.”

The aim is to emphasise how National Lottery wins benefit a whole range of people – with the company dedicating £30m a week towards causes such as supporting British athletes (two of whom, Women’s England football player Ellen White and Paralympian Hannah Cockroft, appear in the ad).

The film will run during the Women’s Euro 2022 and the Commonwealth Games, and the campaign will continue across the year on social, digital and OOH. TV viewers will get a shortened version of the ad, but it’s definitely worth watching the full 120-second edition, which lives on YouTube.

Credits:
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Group ECD: Ben Tollett
Creative Directors: Mark Lewis, Matt Fitch
Director: The Bobbsey Twins from Homicide
DOP: Alex Barber
Production Company: Arts & Sciences
Post Production: Black Kite Studios