California Lottery has selected Sausalito, CA-based Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners to be its lead agency under a new five-year contract. Canvas will handle the media portion of the pact which calls for up to $550 million in expenditures over the term of the agreement. 

The selection follows a competitive review process that drew 20 agencies/agency partnerships. 

The client worked with Innocean’s David & Goliath for the past 15 years. 

The Lottery cited the BSSP and Canvas partnership for its "innovative thinking, exceptional creativity, and clear strategic leadership," as well as its ability to transform player insights, data, and category expertise into a compelling platform for growth.  

BSSP and Canvas earned the highest evaluation rating, "Significantly Exceeds," across all three phases of the review process, according to the California Lottery Commission’s recommendation.  

"This is one of the most meaningful wins in our agency’s history,” said Sinan Dagli, Executive Creative Director at BSSP. “The California Lottery challenged agencies to bring fresh thinking, deep consumer understanding and a vision for future growth. Our Outside/In philosophy helped us see the brand through the eyes of the people it serves, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to help write its next chapter."