Advertiser: EuroMillions
Agency: Hearts & Science
Winner: Best content partnership (over £250,000 media investment)
Challenge
EuroMillions once represented the ultimate fantasy: an instant, life-changing fortune. But sales had declined over time. The brand was drifting out of sight, losing cultural relevance and talkability and that magic that made it iconic. To make things more challenging, people’s belief that someone like them could actually win was fading. The fantasy no longer felt personal or possible, especially for younger players. Jackpot reminders alone weren’t enough. To turn things around, EuroMillions had to bring to life the fun of imagining what you’d do if you won. They needed a bold strategy that fuelled imagination.
Approach
The big idea was unlocked by a single insight — players weren’t playing to win, they were playing to imagine. The fantasy was the product. A viral meme summed it up perfectly: “If I won the jackpot, I wouldn’t tell anyone…but there would be signs.”
The internet was now full of people dreaming out loud — funnier, weirder and more relatable than ever before. Tiny hot tubs in tiny gardens and Versace jackets for dogs. Why play it safe and fight for attention with 20-second TV advertising as EuroMillions had done for over a decade? This was their moment to ride the meme wave, crashing socials, hijacking conversations and flooding group chats with jackpot dreams in a culturally charged way.
The Guardian became the engine of EuroMillions’ storytelling, taking over its business, lifestyle and culture sections with an inspiring content-led partnership, blurring the line between finance and fantasy. With meme-inspired redesigns, it invited readers to imagine their jackpot dreams. Headlines like “My very own crisp chef” and a “Monet for the loo” turned EuroMillions into an irresistible daydream machine.
High-energy video content on The Guardian’s website brought real people’s jackpot fantasies to life. Meanwhile on social, The Guardian’s platforms became a meme playground, with attention grabbing posts featuring surreal jackpot ‘signs’. The Guardian’s Observer Magazine became a jackpot playground in print with full-page meme-inspired ads, seamlessly blending EuroMillions into the premium editorial environment. Roadblock digital takeovers cemented EuroMillions’ presence. What’s more, EuroMillions also launched a bespoke podcast ‘Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams’ with Acast, using bonus episodes, soundbites and video highlights to keep audiences engaged across The Guardian’s network.
Results
The fantasy returned and the nation felt it. Year-on-year sales rose, delivering many millions more to good causes. Consideration soared and ad awareness jumped among lapsed players.
What’s more, the Guardian’s activations drove deep engagement. Editorial content doubled industry benchmarks, in terms of page views and extended dwell times. Video content achieved millions of views, and social buzz exploded, generating thousands of jackpot-fuelled conversations. Brand perception skyrocketed. Half of surveyed Guardian readers recalled the campaign, and they were significantly more likely to consider playing and over half planned to buy after seeing the campaign. Just the ticket!
Judge’s view
The business outcomes that the campaign generated were really clear… the results spoke for themselves!
Kush Bhardwaj, head of investment, Zenith UK
