Intuit and Doritos both have Super Bowl 50 contests where the winners will receive a 30-second spot in the big game on February 7. It’s the chance of a lifetime for the contest winners to get the stage for what is predicted to be the most-viewed sporting event of all time (last year it was 114 million+). It’s a prize valued at $5 million – the cost of a 30 second ad in this year’s football game. The value is also boosted because this is one of the few times where viewers stay glued to their TV sets during breaks and don’t automatically head for the refrigerator, bathroom or Facebook.
Down to three finalists each, the companies have taken decidedly different approaches to the promotion and execution of their contests, which we have featured in past years here for Intuit and here for Doritos. Here’s a summary of each.
Intuit Quick Books Small Business Big Game Contest
Intuit will feature and mentor a small business and will produce and air a Super Bowl commercial for them. It’s a generous, give-back gesture and one that small businesses would appreciate knowing about to participate and would appreciate knowing about to patronize Intuit for their generosity.
The problem is that it’s nearly impossible to get information about it through search engines or even their own websites Intuit or Quick Books. No mention of it on the home page, from a navigation bar or from a footer link. No social media links or share icons on the contest website. The promotional video only has a few hundred views on YouTube and elicits a sharing warning, This video is unlisted. Be considerate and think twice before sharing. The winner will be determined by viewers.
The Finalists:
Chubbies Shorts
Death Wish Coffee
Vidler’s 5 & 10
Doritos Crash the Super Bowl Contest
This contest was originally created for Doritos fans to create the ultimate commercial although the final three entries are not random Doritos lovers but professional producers. And this contest is everywhere. Heck, they’ve even changed their website name and it takes you directly to the contest information, preview videos for the finalists and voting buttons. They’ve sent press releases, social media blasts and changed their packaging for in-store promotion. This is the 9th and final year for this contest. Fans will vote for the winner.
The Finalists:
Ultrasound
Doritos Dogs
Swipe for Doritos
Stay tuned for the big game and see both of the winning ads.
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