The Lottery Office
Records, rugby and raising awareness
The Lottery Office/ Global Players Network Pty Ltd (GPN), is an Australian-owned and operated lottery company established in 2003, with headquarters in the Northern Territory and on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
It is Australia’s gateway to the world’s largest official lotteries, having delivered more than one million payments to customers worldwide, including division one winners. The Lottery Office is also committed to giving back to the community through The Lottery Office Charity Fund, and ongoing sponsorship of both local and national organisations.
The Lottery Office is a proud sponsor of the Gold Coast Titans, and partner of Canteen Australia, a charity set out to help support young Australian’s impacted by cancer.
As Canteen marked its 40th year, the organisation sought to reignite national engagement, turning to The Lottery Office to explore how their platforms could drive meaningful impact. Together with support from The Gold Coast Titans, the group devised a bold idea: to break the world record for the most bandannas worn in one place at one time.
The goal was twofold: spotlight Canteen’s mission and services while engaging the local Gold Coast community in a collective show of support for young people facing cancer.
The record attempt was scheduled for half-time during the Titans vs Sea Eagles NRL match on 13 June 2025, with 10,000 custom bandannas handed out to fans. To build momentum, a joint PR and awareness campaign was launched by Canteen, The Lottery Office, Gold Coast Titans and Cole Lawson Communications.
What began as a big sky idea by Canteen became a powerful collaboration generating strong results, lasting reach, and meaningful brand alignment across all partners.
Brief
Cole Lawson led a strategic communications campaign designed to elevate Canteen Australia’s national presence by leveraging a bold, emotionally resonant moment: a world record attempt staged at a high-profile NRL match.
The strategy was delivered in three phases:
· Pre-match media engagement to build early momentum and announce the record attempt.
· A storytelling phase showcasing Canteen’s youth ambassadors and community impact.
· Game day activation, jointly executed by Canteen, the Titans, The Lottery Office, and Cole Lawson Communications, to drive maximum engagement.
Central to the approach were three core pillars:
1. Visibility through unity – All partners aligned under a shared purpose, leveraging their combined platforms and credibility to amplify impact.
2. Moments that matter – The symbolic nature of the world record attempt created a compelling hook for both media and the public.
3. Sustained awareness – A carefully sequenced rollout maintained visibility across all campaign phases before, during and after the event.
Key tactics included:
· Broadcast-friendly visuals and content.
· Tailored media kits and press materials.
· Spokesperson briefings, photo opportunities, media training and exclusive interviews.
· Media outreach focused on stories that highlighted the unique collaboration, the significance of the record attempt, and Canteen’s life-changing work with young Australians.
Implementation took place over a two-week period leading up to the match, with outputs peaking on game day. This included live TV crosses, scheduled radio interviews and coordinated on-the-ground logistics across multiple partners.
The result was a meticulously executed campaign that reignited Canteen’s national presence, and reinforced its standing as a leading voice in youth cancer support.
Our Approach
Results and impact
Harnessing the collective strength of all four partners, the campaign delivered not only its PR objectives, but also generated meaningful outcomes across awareness, engagement, and community impact.
Media coverage spanned local and national platforms, with key highlights including:
· Pre-match storytelling on 9 News across two segments.
· Pre-event features in Sports Confidential, Inside Gold Coast, B&T, GC Mag, Campaign Brief, and Urban List.
· Interviews on Triple M, ABC Drive and Hot Tomato, along with live match-day coverage.
· A print feature in the Gold Coast Bulletin.
· Live coverage of the attempt on Wide World of Sports.
The campaign achieved a combined reach of approximately 7.8 million:
· Radio reach: 472,219 across 30 mentions.
· Broadcast reach: 592,297 across 30 features.
· Digital/ print: 6.8 million across 16 pieces.
While just short of the world record, the campaign set a new Australian record amidst a powerful show of solidarity.
One of the more memorable moments was the involvement of Canteen’s youth ambassadors, who formed a guard of honour on the night. These authentic, emotionally resonant touches brought the campaign’s purpose to life.
Key outcomes included:
· 60% increase in Canteen Australia’s website traffic.
· 255% surge in donations in the week following the event.
· New organic partnerships sparked by campaign visibility.
For The Lottery Office and the Gold Coast Titans the campaign reaffirmed their commitment to purpose-led partnerships and storytelling that resonates - driving brand goodwill, social proof and community pride.
More than just a campaign for awareness, this was a powerful example of how strategic communication, genuine collaboration and shared purpose can come together to create lasting impact.
