MINISTÈRE DE LA SANTÉ ET DES SERVICES SOCIAUX DU QUÉBEC

Excessive gamblers typically have trouble admitting their problem. Their usual response to messages on the risks of gambling is to say “They’re not talking about me.” What’s more, the onslaught of ads for lotteries and games of chance make reaching at-risk gamblers and their families a tremendous challenge.

Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec (MSSS) needed to take a high-risk approach to generate as much awareness as possible, and connect people with help via a website and telephone hotline.

The message had to keep the target audience, obsessed with the idea of winning, from putting everything on the line. The big idea was inspired by the simple insight that the risk of losing everything speaks louder than winning.

The campaign developed around the line “You’ve got too much to lose.” It helped them become cognizant of the risks and made their families and friends aware of the possible lifelong consequences.

It launched simultaneously on TV, radio, print and online. The TV spot showed a man listing all his possessions and the things that were dear to him (his home, car, wife, kids, RRSPs for his golden years and more). In the next frame the viewer realizes he’s about to lose it all to gambling. It closed with the tagline “You’ve got too much to lose.”

The campaign earned the highest awareness rate of any MSSS campaign (81%) to date, bringing 3,384,790 users – or nearly 50% of the province’s population – to its site in just five weeks, and driving over 75,000 visits.