Press Release

PAC-MAN™ Takes Center Stage During Super Bowl XLIX Commercial

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, February 5, 2015 /CNW/ – Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) The PAC-MAN™ brand, available to lotteries exclusively through Pollard Banknote Limited, gained international exposure this week when it was featured as part of a television commercial during one of the biggest and most popular sporting events of the year, Super Bowl XLIX! The 60-second advertisement captured the imagination of viewers young and old, as a giant coin was inserted into an equally large slot to activate a human-sized version of the iconic PAC-MAN™ game. 

Initial figures estimated that an average of 114.4 million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, February 1, 2015, making it the most watched event in U.S. television history. The commercial spot leveraged the ‘old school’ fun of the PAC-MAN™ brand and has also generated almost 17 million views on YouTube in less than a week after its original air date.

PAC-MAN™ was an instant hit with players when it launched in North America in 1980, and has since become one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. By the end of the 1990s, an estimated 10 billion quarters had been used to play the game, making it the highest grossing video game of all time and, according to Guinness World Records™, the most successful coin-operated game to date. As evidenced by the Super Bowl commercial targeting tech-savvy millennials, the brand not only appeals to those who recall the game from childhood arcades, but is gaining momentum among younger audiences. Today the brand boasts an incredible 94% brand awareness in the U.S., and has more than 8.1 million Facebook fans. 

This popular and highly recognized brand makes a perfect tie-in for instant games. Lotteries can maximize player engagement by leveraging its online presence with interactive components that give players additional chances to win or the opportunity to compete in an interactive game and try to climb to the top of a leaderboard. In addition, high brand recognition allows for countless possibilities when it comes to promotional opportunities and merchandise prizing that can help lotteries stir up excitement among new and existing players.

“We were thrilled to see the PAC-MAN™ brand featured during this year’s Super Bowl commercials—one of the most prominent and wide-reaching marketing channels available. This brand perfectly encapsulates a concept that provides nostalgic flair, while still engaging the younger demographic who have been introduced to the game more recently,” said Sina Aiello, Vice President, Marketing, Pollard Banknote. “The excitement generated by the Super Bowl commercial demonstrates how strongly the brand still resonates with audiences today. It creates a perfect opportunity for lotteries to take advantage of the added publicity by launching a PAC-MAN™ instant ticket that will help bring in revenue for the good causes they support.”

To view the television commercial featuring PAC-MAN™ that aired during Super Bowl XILX, please click on the following link: http://youtu.be/g9A1NowrnGI.

Pollard Banknote offers turnkey integrated marketing programs with all of its licensed brands. This marketing support is customized to every client and includes many elements, such as web-based interactive gaming, second chance drawings, digital and social media campaigns, and POS support.

PAC-MAN™&©BANDAI NAMCO Games Inc.

About Pollard Banknote

Pollard Banknote is a leading lottery partner to more than 50 lotteries worldwide, providing high quality instant ticket products, licensed games and strategic marketing and management services for both traditional instant games and the emerging iLottery space of web, mobile and social channels.  The company is a proven innovator and has decades of experience helping lotteries to maximize player engagement, sales, and proceeds for good causes.  Pollard Banknote also plays a major role in the charitable pull-tab and bingo markets in North America. Established in 1907, Pollard Banknote is owned approximately 73.5% by the Pollard family and 26.5% by public shareholders and is publicly traded on the TSX (PBL). For more information, please visit our website at www.pollardbanknote.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sina Aiello
Vice President, Marketing
Telephone: (204) 474-2323
E-mail: saiello@pbl.ca