Loto-Québec rightfully has earned a reputation for trying novel products. The list is long. Its latest scratcher is the Go-Van ticket printed by Pollard Banknote. Buyers of this oversized $5 scratcher ticket receive an air freshener as a prize in the bag.
“Our strategy is to create surprising disruptive games that targets specific groups of people, mostly under 35,” explained Anne-Marie Voyer, Director, Products & Development, Loto-Québec. “Go-Van is a great example of that strategy: van life is a very trendy way of living, it has a great storytelling potential, and adding a car freshner was the little extra the ticket needed to be spectacular, And it was! Car freshners is iconic; it suits the theme perfectly.”
Go-Van was launched on May 27, 2019. The lottery printed 600,000 tickets. In terms of sales performance, Voyer reported an “index of 90, when compared to a similar u35 targeted ticket.”
This ticket will not be repeated. “Go-Van is actually a trademark from a vacation agency that specializes in van trips. There won’t be another edition. It’s the type of product you do just once,” said Voyer.
The lottery chose a C$5 price point for the ticket. It required plastic bundling to secure the air freshner which is included with the Go-Van scratcher.
“The printing cost was very high, and we wanted to offer substantial prizes, that justify the 5$ cost. Plus it is a regular price point for such a product (experiential category),” she explained.
In terms of promoting the ticket, Voyer said social media “was the main vehicle.” Not surprisingly, the novel product earned free publicity since it was an unusual concept. Voyer said there was “great engagement rate among the vanners community, lots of share and likes.”