Florida Lottery Teams with Doo-Wop Band The Flamingos to Debut New Scratch-Off Game

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

CONTACT: FLORIDA LOTTERY COMMUNICATIONS

(850) 487-7727

www.flalottery.com

A SCRATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

~Florida Lottery Teams with Doo-Wop Band The Flamingos
to Debut New Scratch-Off Game~

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Lottery is introducing a new Scratch-Off ticket in style through a campaign featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Terry Johnson and the Flamingos’ world-famous  “I Only Have Eyes For You.”  The new $20 Scratch-Off game, $3,000,000 FLAMINGO FORTUNE, showcases the reimagined new Florida Lottery logo and debuts in a TV campaign that begins today.

$3,000,000 Flamingo Fortune offers three top prizes of $3,000,000, 10 prizes of $100,000 and over $150,000,000 in total cash prizes. The commercial, which can be viewed by clicking here: Florida Lottery Ad, depicts a woman pulled from her grocery shopping routine into a dream sequence when she sees the new Scratch-Off game in a Lottery vending machine across the store.  She is serenaded by the Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes For You” as she is drawn to the Lottery vending machine.  The spot ends with everything around her snapping back to reality while she continues to slow-dance with the machine as shoppers pass her in the store.

“In a case of good Lottery fortune, the Flamingos were excited to partner with the Florida Lottery on this new game,” said Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell. “As we continue our mission to deliver more winning moments, it’s serendipity that all these elements came together in a wonderful campaign and new game.”

The spot, shot at a Sedano’s, a Florida Lottery retailer in Orlando, was created and produced by Jacksonville-based St. John & Partners. In addition to being featured in the TV campaign, Terry Johnson and the Flamingos will appear in a Florida Lottery sponsored live concert at The Villages, Florida, on March 9.

“I Only Have Eyes For You” was first heard in 1934 in the Movie, “Dames.” However, it was not until 1958 when Terry Johnson and the Flamingos recorded it, that it became one of the biggest hits of the rock and roll era. The current members of the group who appear in the commercial are all full time Florida residents.

“Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the Flamingos version as #157 of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Terry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001; inducted into the Group Harmony Association Hall of Fame in 1992; inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000; and 2003 Grammy Award Winner/Grammy Award Hall of Fame. Terry also received the Rhythm and Blues Pioneer award in 1996.

“We are thrilled with this partnership,” said O'Connell. “The new game, campaign and extending it into a live performance for our players is the type of well-rounded promotion we hope to provide our customers.”

The Florida Lottery offers more than 60 scratch-off games at any given time through vending machines and counter displays at more than 13,000 retailers statewide. Scratch-off games are an important part of the Lottery's portfolio of games, making up approximately 58 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $495 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2011-12.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is an integral part of Florida's culture and landscape. Responsible for contributing more than $24 billion to education and sending more than 600,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, the Florida Lottery is a dependable source of financial support for the state. The agency reinvests nearly 98 percent of its revenue back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers, and transfers to education. Since its inception, Florida Lottery games have also made more than 1,200 people millionaires. That's more than $37.7 billion in prize payouts since 1988, when the first ticket was sold. As the agency celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2013, an innovative and fresh spirit shines through with a mix of new and classic games, an updated logo design and new brand identity, as well as a renewed commitment to benefitting the state, all while inspiring Floridians to imagine the possibilities of their dreams coming true. For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.

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“Just Imagine”