The New Jersey Lottery again embraces the state’s unique character with its newest $10 scratch-off game, It’s A Jersey Thing. The ticket’s impetus came from the popularity of their 2023 $5 instant ticket, The Jersey Debate, which humorously featured the state’s sandwich controversy. (In different parts of the state, people call pork-based processed meat either “pork roll” or “Taylor ham.” It’s a matter of intense local pride.)
After The Jersey Debate’s success, the Lottery wanted to keep the momentum going with another localized game. “We wanted to find something like The Jersey Debate, which is hard to do,” says Foster Krupa, Senior Director of Product Innovation, Northstar New Jersey Lottery. “We tried to find things that would generate chatter among the New Jersey population.”
“We knew there were other sources of Jersey pride we could feature,” adds Vince Smart, Senior Director of Marketing, Northstar New Jersey Lottery.
Thus, It’s A Jersey Thing was born, celebrating the state’s quirks and culture. It features six art scenes, each representing various quintessential facets of New Jersey life: diners, locally-grown produce, ‘No Self Service’ gas stations, pizzas, highway exits, and the iconic Jersey Shore. To ensure these scenes resonated with different communities across the state, the Lottery surveyed about 1,000 people, asking two key questions.
First, “Is this an appealing concept?” and second, “Regardless of your personal appeal, how Jersey-centric do you think this is?” These two questions acted as a rough equivalent to a Q score—a measurement of the familiarity and appeal of something. “While it’s not a perfect system, this research provided us a useful starting point for identifying concepts that would have broader relevance,” says Smart.
Sally Slices
The New Jersey Lottery promoted the ticket with radio, TV, and POS posters. They also tested new approaches, such as ads in Uber vehicles for the first time. Beyond this, the Lottery partnered with several influencers and brand voices on social media. “These partnerships helped us create diverse and engaging content from multiple angles, which were crucial in amplifying the campaign’s reach,” Theresa Luzano, Sr. Manager, Advertising & Promotions, Northstar New Jersey Lottery, shares. “It was probably the most robust social media-supported campaign we’ve ever had.”
One key aspect of the campaign focused on the “Best Pizza in the Nation” theme. The Lottery teamed up with a local pizza influencer, Sally Slices, who has over 2 million followers on Instagram and 4 million on TikTok. They held a sweepstakes, with the winner appearing in one of Sally’s pizza-making videos.
In addition to digital and social media efforts, the Lottery engaged players directly. “Our field promotions team organized a series of activations, carefully tailored to align with the ticket’s themes—like hosting pop-ups at the Jersey Shore and farmers markets,” remarks Luzano. They also handed out themed merchandise, including branded beach towels and pizza tools.
“We were able to generate a lot of fun, creative content thanks to the variety of themes,” Luzano says. “People love talking about their favorite pizzerias and shore spots, which gave us the perfect opportunity to connect with players.”
Fueling Success
“By early August, nine weeks after launch, the $10 price point saw a 9% increase compared to the previous nine weeks,” says Erin León, Product Manager, Northstar New Jersey Lottery. Since the new ticket’s launch, it has outperformed the average sales for new $10 games by 6%. “Right out of the gate, it was indexing at 123,” León adds.
Not every localized game performs well, but the New Jersey Lottery has seemingly cracked the code with the past two New Jersey-themed games. “It performed well, sold well, and sparked some buzz among our lottery players,” Smart says. “We will certainly look at doing it again, maybe broadening our themes or narrowing the focus. We’re excited to see what other things resonate with our players moving forward.”
One suggestion for the next game? Pick the (Jersey) Devil you know.
