Is effective collaboration a predictor of campaign success? We like to think so. Generating creative that is meaningful and provides value to the consumer, while meeting the client’s expectations, takes input from all parties involved. We’ve learned that the best client collaborations happen when you have an engaged client and an innovative team that are open to ideas and partnership.  So, what’s the one thing you need to know about great client collaborations? It can lend itself to producing superior creative.

We recently had the opportunity to develop new creative messaging for the Montana Lottery’s Big Sky Bonus game — a Montana-only game that offers a state-wide progressive jackpot. For this campaign, we produced a collaborative commercial, both our agency and the Montana Lottery team were excited to have created together.

Collaborating with Clients to Make Magic Happen

Having worked with the Montana Lottery for the past seven years, we have a history of launching successful campaigns for them. (Read about our recent Montana Lottery: Mega Millions – Always Big Communicator Awards and Telly wins here.) The process for the Big Sky Bonus piece was just the most recent example of a very collaborative effort between our team and the Montana Lottery, from the conceptual phase through production of the commercial. In this instance, the Lottery team had a vision for creating a “winner’s factory” that showcases the high number of winners being created. Our team took that vision and ran with it to bring the concept to life.

We created a “Willy Wonka” style Big Sky Bonus factory that magically made winners for the commercial. The production itself was complex and required a depth of planning. It involved a mix of practical props and special effects. The location was also key in making the concept come to life. We had to find a unique setting with dynamic architecture and interesting angles for filming. The resulting commercial was a playful creation that delights viewers.

Great client collaborations like this one develop easily when you have two teams working towards a shared vision. As a creative agency, it’s our job to dive in and work with the client to flesh out concepts that drive strategy. It’s also our job to take our client’s ideas and turn them into magic. And magic is what happens when teams are open to ideas, open to collaboration, and open to partnerships.