Advent calendar repurposed: Wisconsin Lottery’s Holiday Countdown

November 28, 2010 11:34 AM

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Something seems queasily familiar here, and it’s not just the lame imitation of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In in the Wisconsin Lottery commercial above.

It’s those 25 windows and the gingerbread house on the Wisconsin Lottery’s new “Holiday Countdown” instant ticket.

That’s right, the Wisconsin Lottery has turned the beloved Christmas tradition of the Advent calendar into a theme to take $15 a pop from gamblers during the holiday season.

Gee, I don’t think I’ve heard of anything this heartwarming since Bart and Homer went to a dog track on Christmas Eve in the very first episode of The Simpsons to bet Homer’s last $13 on a dog named Santa’s Little Helper.

Hey, Wisconsin Lottery, if you’re that hard up for ideas, why don’t you call Mike Schank of American Movie fame and have him shoot some spots for you?

He’s a proven Wisconsin star with a positive message who could probably use the work — and your campaign would go viral.