Pa. lottery retiring "Gus" groundhog pitchman

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - February 21, 2012 (WPVI) -- Gus the groundhog, the furry fictional pitchman for the Pennsylvania lottery, is headed for the unemployment line.

Lottery officials say they are retiring the character described as "the second-most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania."

Executive Director Todd Rucci said at a legislative hearing Tuesday that the television campaign featuring Gus ended this month, although he will still appear on the lottery website for the time being.

Rucci told The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News that officials hope to unveil next month a new marketing campaign aimed at making people more aware of everything the lottery does.

Gus was created in 2004 to help introduce new instant ticket games. But officials say they believe the campaign has now reached everyone it can, and they want to try to tap new market segments.

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Information from: The Patriot-News, http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews

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