The Florida Lottery Teams Up with Snapchat to Launch their Triple Match Sleigh Race Lens

In a strategically savvy move, the Florida Lottery embarked on an adventure with Snapchat to launch a campaign featuring the "Triple Match Sleigh Race AR Lens." The end result: a vivid showcase of how traditional entities can pivot towards digital innovation to captivate and engage their audience in the fast-paced world of social media.

The Journey of the Florida Lottery

The Florida Lottery isn't just a name synonymous with fun and games—it's an institution that has diligently worked towards enhancing education in Florida. Since its inception in 1988, the Florida Lottery has contributed over $46 billion to the state's educational initiatives, aiding nearly one million college students through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

With 99% of its revenue reinvested into Florida's economy, the Lottery has paid out more than $89 billion in prizes and created over 3,800 millionaires. This massive impact showcases the Lottery’s dedication not just to its players, but to the broader community it serves.¹

A Leap into Snapchat Ads

State lotteries need marketing, too—and when it came time to choose an online advertising platform, Snapchat was an easy fit for the Florida Lottery’s ambitions and expectations.

A goldmine for marketers, Snapchat’s millions of active users lead to unparalleled engagement rates, especially among Gen Z and millennials — key members of the Florida Lottery’s audience. And the ephemeral nature of Snapchat’s content creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging more active participation from its members. So Snapchat’s the perfect environment to reach their holy grail: a vibrant, community eager to experience and act on interactive and entertaining content.

The move toward leveraging Snapchat Ads came from the Florida Lottery’s desire to connect with their audience—individuals who love the thrill of playing games—in a more engaging, immersive way. So they leveraged Snapchat's AR (augmented reality) technology to create a one-of-a-kind experience for their customers.

The resulting "Triple Match Sleigh Race Lens" wasn’t just a game; it was an immersive experience that transported players into a festive, virtual sleigh race, where they could (and did) interact with the brand in a playful and memorable way.

The Lens Campaign Unwrapped

The campaign was meticulously designed with engagement at its core. The Florida Lottery worked with the creative minds at Fisherman Labs to devise an advanced gamified, interactive Snapchat lens. Players tilted their heads to navigate the sleigh, adding a layer of physical engagement that's rare in digital ads.

The engagement objective was twofold: optimizing for shares with the lens creative to foster organic spread and aiming for clicks with Story Ads to drive direct interactions. Both campaigns leveraged an auto-bid auction method, targeting all operating systems and connection types.

Wrapping It Up with a Bow

The Florida Lottery’s strategy was not just about playing a game; it was about creating a shared, viral experience that resonated with the essence of the holiday season and the excitement of the Florida Lottery’s offerings.

The strategy paid off. The Lottery’s campaign resulted in a $0.48 overcall cost per share (CPS), a 5X the industry average share rate, and $0.86 cost per click (CPC).

A Blueprint for SMBs

For businesses pondering the viability of Snapchat for advertising to their customers, the Florida Lottery’s collaboration with Snapchat offers several key takeaways:

• Innovation is key: Standing out requires more than just traditional advertising. Incorporating AR lenses, filters, or interactive games can significantly enhance your business’s visibility and engagement.

• Know your audience: Snapchat's user base is predominantly younger audiences who crave authentic, fun, and engaging content. Tailor your campaigns to meet the interests and preferences of that demographic. (Florida Lottery ads were served to Snapchatters 18+ years old.)

• Measure and iterate: Like any marketing campaign, the key to success lies in weighing performance metrics and adjusting based on feedback. Snapchat offers detailed analytics to help you understand your campaign's impact and refine strategies accordingly.

The "Triple Match Sleigh Race AR Lens" was more than just a successful campaign. It stands a testament to the Florida Lottery's commitment to innovation and engagement. And it shows that the future of advertising lies in creating experiences that are not only seen but felt and interacted with.

For businesses of all sizes, the message is clear: In the digital age, engagement is the currency of success. Your next viral sensation could be just a Lens away.