Publix NCAA Half Court Shot (2002)
Program Overview:
Participants could enter into a grand prize sweepstakes drawing by mail for a chance to be selected as one of eight finalists (two from each region: SC, GA, AL, FL) that got to compete in the half court shot contest. Each finalist won an all expenses paid trip for two to the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta. which included round-trip coach air transportation, double-occupancy hotel accommodations for two, ground transportation between the destination airport and hotel, as well as between the hotel and event, breakfast daily, gift bags, and dinner for two.
During the Finalists’ trip, each of the eight finalists had the chance to choose either one shot for $100,000 from the half-court line or one shot for $25,000 from the 3-point line. The Grand Prize was only awarded if a Finalist made the basket with only one attempt.
Why we picked it:
Leading the list of our top 5 contests, finalists were treated to a VIP experience at College Hoops premier event, the NCAA Final Four. But to top it off they actually got to go on court during half to show off their shooting skills and win a cash prize. Exclusive one-of-a-kind experiential events are always the ultimate prize in any kind of promotion.
Frito-Lay Ruffles Would You Name Your Baby Horton? (2003)
Program Overview:
Would you name your baby “Horton”? Back in 2003, the Ruffles brand asked their fans to name their newborn “Horton”, after their previously retired mascot Baby Horton, for a chance to win a $50,000 college tuition fund. This program aimed to revive the Ruffles brand, and Frito-Lay brought back the classic “R-R-Ruffles Have R-R-Ridges” tagline and the beloved cartoon Baby Horton mascot (previously retired since the 1980’s and 1990’s respectively). The “Would You Name Your Baby Horton?” contest brought excitement, attention, and relevance to the Ruffles mascot. One lucky family was awarded a $50,000 college tuition fund for their newborn baby, Horton.
Why we picked it:
How could you forget a promotion like this? This makes the top 5 prmototional contests list becuse the campaign was so unique, not only did we work on concept, compliance, and fulfillment, but we also handled winner verification which included the birth certification of the newborn baby Horton!
Dodge Magnum “Bury Your Car” Contest (2004)
Program Overview:
Are you willing to bury your car in your front yard? That’s the question Dodge posed in a high profile effort to launch the all-new 2005 Dodge Magnum. Entrants were asked to apply online in one week and tell us why they would bury their current vehicle – in their front yard!
In Los Angeles County and Philadelphia County, Dodge fans had an opportunity to bury their car in their front yard in exchange for a brand new 2005 Dodge Magnum RT. Entrants submitted an essay on why they believed they should win, in addition to answering questions such as size of residence, location of utilities, and other property logistics. A winner from each county was chosen to bury their car in exchange for a new Dodge!
Why we picked it:
This promotion was extremely memorable and very fun to put together. It’s not everyday you see winners burying their cars in their yards. It was amazing to see the depths people went to in order to win a new Dodge Magnum!
Evan Williams American Heroes Contest (2016-2018)
Program Overview:
Saluting our men and women in uniform, Evan Williams was looking to share the inspirational stories of six American-Made Heroes. Fans could nominate a hero, or Military personnel could nominate themselves, by completing the online form, uploading a photo, and telling their story. 50 nominees received a gift of appreciation and six of those were featured with their story on an Evan Williams American-Made Hero Edition bottle.
Why we picked it:
We chose this promotion because it was a powerful promotion that resonated with a lot of americans. In addition, the Evan Williams American-Made Hero Edition bottles continue to be made to this day, each year with six different veteran heroes featured!
Intel The World Is Watching Contest (2017)
Program Overview:
Intel was looking for a global promotion to highlight their chip processors. MRi, with our IDEA process, was able to bring this global contest to market! For this contest, Intel wanted to target the gaming community. They partnered with video game streamers from around the world to help promote this contest. Participants were encouraged to upload highlight reel footage of their gaming experiences and complete an application for the chance to be featured in future public relations and marketing campaigns for Intel.
With this unique prize and niche audience, Intel wanted to use this promotion as a means to spread the word and promote their chip processor. With the help of influencers’ encouragement, gamers from across the globe sent in their highlight reels for a chance to be featured.
Why we picked it:
This program rounds out our top 5 contests list because it was memorable for us because even though it was a Global competition spanning across multiple different countries, the addition of video game influencers added an extra layer of interest for the program and boosted the contest’s success. We had a very short lead time to put this promotion together and bring it to market. The MRi team worked together to make it happen!
Conclusion
Thank you to ALL our past and present clients for helping us achieve 25 wonderful years! It all starts with a big IDEA, and we look forward to continuing to develop even more memorable promotions. In the meantime, take a deeper look at some of our most recent promotions on our case stories page.
