A ute, a serious health message and a campaign that dared to go where other marketing wouldn’t. JAC New Zealand’s Lump Lottery is collecting awards by the handful, but its biggest win could be the lives it helps save.
Getting Kiwi blokes to talk about their health isn’t always easy. Getting them to check their testicles? Well, apparently, a brand-new ute helps.
The Lump Lottery, a campaign from JAC New Zealand, Testicular Cancer NZ and Colenso BBDO, has been cleaning up on the awards circuit after encouraging men to check their bits in exchange for a chance to win a new JAC T9 ute. And while the campaign’s approach was deliberately cheeky, its results are anything but a laughing matter.
The latest haul includes three Silver Effies at the 2026 Effie Awards Aotearoa, recognising the campaign in Charity/Not for Profit, Insights and Strategic Thinking, and Positive Change. It also picked up Gold, Silver and Bronze awards at the 2026 London International Awards, earning international recognition across Health and Pharma and Public Service creative.
Add a Silver and two Bronze awards at the 2026 Best Awards, and it’s fair to say the Lump Lottery has hit the jackpot. But the real prize isn’t a shiny trophy sitting on a shelf, it’s what happened when Kiwi men actually paid attention.
One ute. Thousands of checks. A potentially life-saving result.
During Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, men were encouraged to visit LumpLottery.co.nz, learn how to perform a self-check and enter the draw to win a brand-new JAC T9 ute.
The results speak volumes:
- 13,478 Kiwi men completed a testicular self-check.
- 898 men reported finding a lump.
- 274 men sought medical advice.
- Isaac from Canterbury walked away with the keys to the new JAC T9.
That’s thousands of men taking a moment to do something that could make a genuine difference to their future health.
Of course, finding a lump doesn’t automatically mean cancer. However, it does mean getting it checked by a medical professional rather than hoping it’ll disappear or adopting the classic Kiwi approach of pretending nothing is wrong.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer affecting young Kiwi men, with around 182 cases diagnosed annually. The encouraging news is that the survival rate is approximately 96% when the disease is caught early.
Which makes those 274 men seeking medical advice particularly important.
Buck Shelford brings the muscle
Helping deliver the message was former All Blacks legend Buck Shelford, a man hardly short of Kiwi sporting credibility.
His involvement gave the campaign a familiar face and the sort of straight-talking delivery that resonates with blokes who might otherwise scroll past a conventional health-awareness message.
The result? A campaign that combined humour, a healthy dose of Kiwi ingenuity and a serious medical message without losing sight of what mattered.
Because while the idea of winning a ute might have grabbed the headlines, the real objective was to get men talking about testicular cancer and, more importantly, doing something about it.
Andrew Craw, General Manager of JAC New Zealand, says the response exceeded expectations. “When Colenso BBDO and Testicular Cancer came to us with this idea, we knew it was something special. A ute is a pretty good incentive to get blokes to do something they’ve been putting off and we’re pretty proud to have been part of a campaign that may well have saved lives. The awards are the cherry on top.”
And for Isaac from Canterbury, the campaign delivered a rather substantial cherry: a brand-new JAC T9 ute. Congratulations, Isaac. We hope you enjoy the ute as much as the campaign has enjoyed its moment in the spotlight.
The competition’s over. The checking isn’t.
The Lump Lottery competition has now closed, but its message deserves a much longer life than any promotional campaign. Testicular cancer can affect young men, and knowing what’s normal for your body makes it easier to spot changes. Regular self-checks can help you notice something unusual, while seeking medical advice promptly if you discover a lump, swelling, pain or another change is the sensible next step.
The campaign’s prize draw may be finished, but there’s no need to wait for another incentive to take your health seriously. After all, a new ute is a pretty compelling reason to check yourself. Knowing you’ve taken a simple step towards protecting your health is an even better one.
Want to know how to check? Head to LumpLottery.co.nz for more information.
Because sometimes, the most important thing you can do with your hands isn’t behind the wheel. It’s checking that everything is as it should be.
