Pennsylvania’s second most famous groundhog is back!
Gus, the lovable takeoff on Punxatawney Phil, has returned to the Pennsylvania Lottery’s ad campaign this month. After being shelved in 2012, following an eight-year run as our instant game ad mascot, the groundhog returned in a Christmas-themed ad urging Pennsylvanian’s to “keep on scratching.”
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Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko said recently that Gus has returned after requests from the public. “We have continued to hear from players who told us how much they missed Gus and wanted him to return. Simply stated, Gus is a Pennsylvania Lottery institution.”
So, where was Gus this entire time?
“We’d like to imagine Gus used his well-deserved break to travel around the state and have some fun along the way,” Svitko said.
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The Pennsylvania Lottery has hinted at Gus’ return in recent weeks with a series of social media posts.
“When we opened the doors this morning, Gus loped in, dropped his suitcase, loudly proclaimed, ‘Keep on Scratchin!’ and headed right to his desk,” Svitko joked last week.
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Gus was credited in the last decade with increasing lottery sales in the state. There was some uproar and even a fan page that cropped up in 2012 after Gus was dropped as the spokesperson for instant games.
According Gus’ creators, he takes four puppeteers to operate. The sophisticated animatronic rod puppet has a “foam body and a synthetic fur covering, but underneath he’s like the Terminator, with machined aluminum joints, servomechanisms, and cables of steel!”
Gus was introduced in 2004 as part of a St. Patrick Day-themed ad.
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