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Maryland Lottery Wrangles Cows Into Campaign

BALTIMORE, Maryland – (PRESS RELEASE) -- For the past month, cows have been roaming free all over Maryland. Cows (or, perhaps humans dressed as cows) were seen grazing at tailgate parties, getting their hoofs done, paying their taxes, exercising at gyms and even shopping at the mall. When approached, they "moooed" and directed humans to bovineunite.com for more information. The web address also appeared on billboards, t-shirts and online advertising.

The mysterious website included games, videos of the cows in action, a blog authored by Millie the Cow, and a message board. Visitors from around the world logged onto the site. However, the website did not reveal who was behind all the fun. It just offered another clue - to tune in to local TV stations on C-Day, 05/05/05. This strange behavior left many to wonder ... what is "Bovine Unite?"

Today, Marylanders learned that Bovine Unite is part of the Maryland Lottery's ongoing "Let Yourself Play" campaign. The cows are starring in a new commercial where they get even with humans by redefining "cow tipping." In this case, the cows tip a sleeping young man from his bed in the spirit of "In life, whoever has the most fun wins."

"The bovine unite campaign is a great example of having fun, and that is what the Maryland Lottery is all about," said Maryland Lottery Director Buddy Roogow. "The cows remind people to take a break in their day to have some fun."

The "Let Yourself Play" campaign, launched in 2000, has helped the Lottery become the third largest contributor to Maryland's General Fund. The Lottery has generated record sales and revenue for six consecutive years and is well on its way to exceed projections for the current fiscal year.

"In order for the Lottery to continue its positive sales trend, we need to keep evolving our marketing strategy and utilizing new tools to reach out to our players. We're always looking for innovative games and promotions to keep our product line fresh and exciting," said Roogow. "This grassroots and online marketing campaign was designed to help the lottery to continue making contributions to the state."

Also on C-Day, the Lottery introduced a new web site, letyourselfplay.com. The site focuses on the "Let Yourself Play" theme - utilizing vibrant colors, animation, and appealing content. It features engaging videos, interactive games, and a "making of" video about the cow commercial.

"The Maryland Lottery's advertising often sets the pace for the rest of the industry," says Terri La Fleur, president of TLF Publications, producer of La Fleur's Lottery World. "Their reputation precedes them because of their ability to create innovative new scratch-off tickets, game promotions, and advertising."

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