Band from Church Hill promotes new sweepstakes | Arts & Culture

When the Virginia Lottery wanted to launch a new media campaign to promote their new sweepstakes, Truckin' For Cash, they knew they wanted a high-energy rock band to carry the message. After pouring through countless candidates from all over the region, they selected Richmond's hometown Americana rock band, The J.O.B. from the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond.

The television spot, filmed last December on a snow covered field near Glen Allen, begins with two new 4x4 trucks serving as a stage for the band's performance. Two enthusiastic lottery players are dancing to the band's overture with one saying, "Killer sound system, man," and the other answering, "Ditto, dude!" As the voice-over explains the new game to the viewer, The J.O.B. kicks into high gear and rocks the commercial as if the spotlights were on and the crowd were cheering.

"It was about 22 degrees and we were outside filming in the snow from sunrise until sundown," said Jim O'Ferrell, the frontman for The J.O.B. "The cold really didn't matter. The production crew were professional and thorough. We all wanted to do the best job we could," he said. Famous for the 'Lady Luck' character from previous advertisements, Virginia Lottery seems to be borrowing a marketing theme from other successful ad campaigns who are using rock bands to promote a catchy message.

The J.O.B., aka The Jim O'Ferrell Band, has made headlines recently by having two of their original singles appear on national Top 40 charts. They have produced two full length albums since 2008 and are heard on hundreds of independent radio stations worldwide. They have appeared in several live radio and television performances in central Virginia. The J.O.B. has accomplished this on their own with no major record label or outside backing.

"We'd love to find a professional manager or get a call from a major label," says O'Ferrell, "but for now we'll keep concentrating on writing new music and performing for audiences here in Richmond." The J.O.B. has several performances scheduled in the area over the coming weeks. The Truckin' For Cash sweepstakes will run through June 2011, so look for The J.O.B. rocking on the television commercial over the next five months. Information about this rising Richmond band is on their website at www.thejoband.com.