North Carolina Education Lottery
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North Carolina Education Lottery

'Play Smart'

+ 2D ANIMATION+ CHARACTER+ CONCEPT & STRATEGY+ DESIGN

Are you ready to play smart? The North Carolina Education Lottery's "Play Smart" resource empowers players to make informed choices by understanding the games, odds, smart money management and more! We were entrusted with refreshing the "Play Smart" brand with a punchy, clean style, charming animations, and characters that represent the diverse range of North Carolina lottery players.

Our task included creating a 30-second broadcast spot that encapsulates the brand's style, along with three 90-second informational animations that clearly define various aspects of the game while keeping players engaged. Our design system was deployed as a wider re-brand, enhancing the overall gaming “Play Smart” experience. Be sure to keep an eye out for little North Carolina easter eggs, like the famous dogwood trees!

Credits

Associate Creative Director
Madison Ellis

Junior Art Director
Irma Hasanic

Sr Executive Producer
Antonio Hardy

Executive Producer
Peter Hullinger

Director of Production
Tyler Locke

Head of Production
Nicole Smarsh

Sr Producer
Michael Heil

 

Associate Producer
Caroline Kaczynski

Designers
Ana Chang, Jee Kim, Kiron Robinson, Vera Babida, Siena Mae, Stephanie Stromenger

2D Animators
Sam Bachman, Kenny Kerut, Vera Babida, Gung-Kai Koo, Zac Miller, Mikhail Pakhomov

Cel Animators
Ana Chang, Kiron Robinson, Brian Covalt, Griffin Giersch Masayoshi Nakamura, Michael Relth, Julia Simas, Aly Tain

Mix & Sound Design
Heavy Duty Projects

Mix & Sound Designer
Hans Hsu

An important part of this campaign was creating ✨swaggerific✨ characters that felt relatable and true to the North Carolina community that plays the lottery. Our other heroes? The lottery tickets, of course. We gave them the Magic Carpet touch, having their personalities shine through expressive poses.

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'Play Smart' required more than a 30-second spot, it needed a full brand refresh. We collaborated on a comprehensive rebrand that balanced the fun of the games with clear, informative content. The new style and fresh set of character designs were then integrated into the website and a full brand identity, embodying both the enjoyment and the responsibility associated with the games.

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For the look we really leaned into an editorial feel using a triadic color scheme with dashes of halftone shadows. The restricted color system was brought to life with clean animation and clever transitions to really give the whole campaign a fun but mature vibe.

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Process