PromoWatch

Promo Watch

Promo Watch aims to showcase the latest live promotions currently running on UK brands. From Free Prize Draws, Instant Wins, Collector Schemes to Gift with Purchase, we will try and list everything we find in our local supermarket. So, if you're interested in freebies, deals and money can't buy prizes or you're a marketer interested to see what's out there, this is the resource for you. If you have a live campaign and would like to feature it here, please let us know.

N.B. Sales Promotion Blog, Mosaic Marketing and GoldStars Rewards do not claim credit or responsibility for any promotions featured below unless otherwise specified. They are listed for information purposes only.

Vet's Kitchen - Win a Holiday with your dog in partnership with Dog Friendly

Campaign:
Vet's Kitchen - Win a Holiday with your dog

Running on:
Promotional packs of Vet's Kitchen - Vet's Kitchen

What's the big idea:
Vet's Kitchen's principles are clear: the canine companion in your house is very much part of your family. He should be fed high quality natural food (presumably you eat well yourself?) and he shouldn't be excluded from family holidays. SO, they have teamed up with Dog Friendly who manage the largest database of dog-friendly places to stay in the UK, to provide a variety of doggy prizes.

How:
Visit the promotional website (details below) and enter the unique code on the card found within promotional bags of Vet's Kitchen along with your contact details. It isn't clear, but it looks like the top prize is determined by an instant win, so if you enter the pre-allocated winning code then you're the winner. All 'losing' entries will be entered into a draw for the runners-up prizes. But this is just our interpretation from the scant terms and conditions. 

What's on offer:

• 1 x Free Holiday at a dog friendly cottage worth £600
• 12 x Free Weekend break at a dog friendly cottage worth £200
• Other prizes include a year's membership to DogFriendly.co.uk, subscriptions to the Dog Friendly Out and About Magazine, copies of DogFriendly book, 100 free dog toys, 1 box of dog toys worth £50 and a free consultation with canine behaviourist Jez Rose

Website:
www.dogfriendly.co.uk/vetskitchen

When:
Live for up to 6 months from 1st Feb 2012 while stocks last

Any good?
Another brand dips their toes paws into the promotional waters for the first time, and we commend Vet's Kitchen for that. Their aspirations are admirable and leashing themselves to Dog Friendly is a sound and appealing proposition.

It might be a bone of contention, but we did find that some elements of the promotion were a bit of a dog's dinner. Even if you're running a promotion with a 3rd party partner, it is ALWAYS preferable to host the promotion and the means of entry on your own website. Marketers strive to attract traffic to their own website and engage with you directly - sending them to someone else is surely counter productive.

The second howler was the terms and conditions. There's no validity date for the promotion, it's not clear how winners are determined at all and it doesn't even specify exactly how many runners up prizes are available to win. If the industry adopted a standard template for Terms and Conditions which we called for in January, consumers and brands themselves would be better protected.

Overall, Vet's Kitchen was barking up the right tree, but this time - No Scooby Snack!

Free Kermit Backpack with Cravendale Milk

Campaign:
Cravendale Milk - Free Kermit Backpack

Running on:
Promotional packs of 2 litre milk - Arla Foods Ltd

What's the big idea:
The Muppets are making a very welcome return to television after their first movie release in the US for 10 years with The Muppets. To capitalise on this Cravendale has exclusively teamed up with The Muppets for a series of activity including this opportunity to collect for a highly desirable Kermit Backpack.

 

As for how relevant Muppets and Milk are is a whole different question.

How:
Collect 20 (yes twenty) unique codes from promotional packs. Enter them on the website either in one go or on different occasions. Backpacks will be sent out within 28 days of making your claim.

What's on offer:
Kermit Backpack
A Kermit Backpack with detachable straps. Check out the advert above to see it in all its glory.

Website:
www.milkmatters.co.uk

When:
You have until midnight on 14th April 2012 to collect and enter your codes.
That's 4 litres of milk a week. No problem for a family of four, but a stretch for some perhaps.

Any good?
It's great to see a brand like Cravendale achieving a number of marketing firsts: brand tie-ups, on-pack promotions and supporting advertising. The Muppet kudos is considerable and many people have fond memories of the tv show. Backpacks look great and judging by the comments on YouTube etc other people think so too.

Without being all Statler and Waldorf about it, I can't totally see the connection between Muppets and Milk, but I have just noticed that in the plot of the new movie, Gonzo has formed a tribute band called "Moo-pets". Perhaps that's it?

Walkers Crisps - What's that Flavour? Guess correctly for a chance to win £50,000

Campaign:
Walkers Crisps - What's That Flavour?

Running on:
No purchase necessary but you need to guess 3 new mystery flavours, so buying them kinda makes sense - Walkers Snacks Ltd

What's the big idea:
In their first promotion for some 18 months, Walkers rejoin the sales promotion fray with a vengeance. Reinventing a compelling theme from a previous campaign, KitKat Chunky take note, they have turned the 'Do Us a Flavour' concept on it's head with 'What's That Flavour' or indeed 'What's This Flavour' as it's depicted on packs. They've launched three mystery flavours offering three cash prizes of £50,000 for the person who correctly guesses the flavour. Only Walkers could launch 3 new flavours without telling anyone what they are and then running a whole campaign around the fact. It's inspired! 

How:
You can enter your guesses on their website, through Twitbook or via text to 51199 (A, B or C followed by the flavour name). You can enter an unlimited number of times online and up to 5 times a day via text.

All entries that exactly match the flavour name will be entered into the draw for that flavour. Entries that have the right ingredients but in the wrong order will be entered in the draw at Walker's discretion. Unfortunately we couldn't find any promotional packs at the time of writing to give you our guesses but we'll update this page as soon as we have. Presumably, unlike most crisp packets, the ingredients won't be listed on the back!

What's on offer:
3 x £50,000
A cheque for a tasty £50,000. Nice.

Late entry draw - £500 Tasting Menu for 2
A tasting menu to the value of £500 for two people at the winner's choice of restaurant subject to Walkers' approval.

Website:
www.walkers.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/walkers

When:
Live until midnight on 9th March 2012. The late draw will be for all entrants after this date until midnight on 7th June 2012

Any good?
Without having tasted the mystery flavours - and it's not for want of trying I can assure you, I can't give a thorough verdict on the relative merit of all aspects of the promotion. But, in some ways, the inability to find the elusive mystery crisps is only building the excitement and anticipation.

The promotion is theoretically no purchase necessary, but clearly the proof of the crisp is in the crunching and personally I wouldn't trust anyone else's tastebuds if I had the slightest doubt they might be wrong and that the 50 grand could be mine - Whoohahahaha! (cue evil hand-wringing and slightly crazed expression).

Yet again Walkers has created a simple, effective and compelling campaign which will inspire consumers to do the job of spreading the word for them. Genius.

WeightWatchers - Free Spa Day with every purchase

Campaign:
WeightWatchers - Free Spa Day

Running on:
Promotional Packs of WeightWatchers Yoghurt and WeightWatchers chilled ready meals - Yoplait UK Ltd

What's the big idea:
It's a New Year, new you type theme. The number of people resolving to lose weight after the Christmas excess must be right up there with those pledging to quit smoking and drinking less or maybe all three. When it comes to the 12 month weigh-in, our collective amnesia lets us go through the whole painful process again year after year as the scales report depressingly bigger numbers. Groundhog Year, a Goldfish-esque short term memory thing - call it what you will, but we all do it. This annual national pastime does at least allow brands to run the same old resolution piquing promotions every January, so I mustn't complain otherwise I'd have nothing to moan about review.

How:
Cut out the voucher printed within the packaging. Visit the website and follow the 'Free Spa Day' link and click 'Select a club near you' to find out where you can redeem. While you're there you can also enter a free prize draw for a Free Spa Day with 2 free treatments for 2 with no purchase necessary.

What's on offer:
1 Day Pass for 2 people
Free Day Pass to any featured health club and free use of all facilities excluding Sunbeds, Studio Classes, Beauty Rooms and Crèche facilities. You do get 30% off any treatments you decide to take up.

5 x Free Spa Day Experience with 2 treatments
Free Spa Day for 1 winner and a guest with a Body Wrap and Scrub Treatment for both at any Spirit Health Venue. Additional treatments can be bought at a 30% discount. You'll have to pay to get there so it may not appeal to some parts of the country - see below.

Website:
www.vipspadays.co.uk

When:
Live from 1st January 2012 to 31st June 2012

Any good?
The term Spa is banded about extremely loosely in pampering promotion circles. It can be used for beauty treatments, massage or more generically health clubs as it is here. A Spa is traditionally a hot or cold spring which is supposed to offer restorative or curative properties to the bather. More often than not, it just means that there's a jacuzzi. Bit of a stretch of the trade descriptions act here methinks. I suspect that they were toning down the use of a Health Club headline because Spa would sound less active and more relaxing to their core consumer.

Then there's the coverage. There are 39 participating clubs across the UK. None in the whole of Wales, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Sussex, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and nothing north of Lancaster until you get to the only club in Scotland - the Holiday Inn Edinburgh. That's a huge swathe of the UK population which is not catered for.

A classic case of content not living up to the headline.

Actimel - Get a Free Helping Hand Gift with every pack

Campaign:
Actimel - Free Helping Hand Gift with Every Pack

Running on:
Actimel 12-Packs with promotional artwork - Danone Ltd

What's the big idea:
Everyone needs a helping hand and a positive start to the day. Actimel hopes to give you both in the form of their latest promotional offering of a free helping hand gift with every purchase. 

How:
Visit the promotional website and enter the Unique Reference Number on the website to see which gift you have won. If you haven't got internet access you can't enter. But, then you won't be reading this either so I'll shut up.

PLEASE DON'T ENTER CODES IN COMMENTS ON THIS SITE. WE WON'T DO ANYTHING WITH THEM AND SOMEONE ELSE MAY USE THEM BEFORE YOU DO.

What's on offer:
Free Gift with Every Pack

1. 2,890,450 x Free Mini Manicure with BABTAC
2. 75,000 x £5 IMO hand car wash
3. 25,000 x £25 Dry Cleaning vouchers redeemable at Johnsons the Cleaners
4. 7,500 x £25
5. 1,250x £50
6. 400 x £100
7. 400 x £200

Website:
www.actimel.co.uk/helpinghand

When:
Live until 1 minute before midnight on 1st June 2012

Any good?
Great concept, imaginatively presented - a classic example of dressing up an everyone's a winner in an interesting refreshing way. The prize pool has also received the makeover treatment suggesting specific trades where you can spend the cash amounts / gift vouchers on offer but a cash alternative is available for all prizes except the Mini Manicure and most people will opt for money over vouchers every time.

In terms of transparency it would have been beneficial to be able to search the participating salons offering a Free Mini Manicure in advance of entering the promotion because there's a 97% chance you won't win anything else. 

Special K - A Million Max Factor Lipsticks to be won

Campaign:
Special K - A Million Max Factor Lipsticks to be won

Running on:
Many different variants of Special K plus ASDA Original, Red Berries, Mini Breaks Lemon and Mini Breaks Caramel - Kellogg's

What's the big idea:
In this conscience pricked, resolutionary time of year, Special K are launching a campaign to give their consumers the confidence to wear red in 2012. In what maybe the first of many campaigns to this noble end, they are offering a tentative start to the (possibly long) journey - the chance to win one of 1 million daring 'Ruby Tuesday' lipsticks from Max Factor.  

How:
It's another unique code driven instant win. Enter the 10 digit unique reference number taken from promotional packs onto the Kellogg's competitions page. You will be told instantly if you've won.

PLEASE DON'T ENTER YOUR UNIQUE CODES ON THIS BLOG POST. THE LINK TO THE CORRECT WEBSITE IS GIVEN BELOW. WE WON'T DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR CODE AND SOMEONE MAY USE YOUR CODE BEFORE YOU RENDERING IT USELESS! 

What's on offer:
1,000,000 x Max Factor Lipsticks
More specifically their Colour Elixir lipsticks in Ruby Tuesday

There is also a late entry draw for a further 100 lipsticks

Website:
www.myspecialk.co.uk/lipstick or www.myspecialk.ie/lipstick for ROI customers

When:
Live until 30th June 2012.
Late entrants have until 31st December 2012 to enter for a final draw for 100 more lipsticks 

Any good?
This promotion is simple but elegant. It builds on the brand personality using the famous bold red from their logo in the campaign theme. There is a promise of more to come in the form of a mutual mission statement to get YOU wearing red this year which in itself is very motivating. The initial reward is appealing, accessible and an achievable first step on the journey to a scarlet wardrobe. All winning codes have been allocated and linked to specific on-pack codes which we instinctively find a more honest and transparent approach than using those pesky 'winning moments'. So, well done Kellogg's. This promotion is a bit of a head turner. 

Choose your Kit Kat Chunky Champion and Win £100

 

Campaign:
Kit Kit Chunky - Choose a Chunky Champion

Running on:
Kit Kat Chunky new flavours: Double Choc, Orange, White Choc and Peanut Butter although no purchase is necessary - Nestlé UK Ltd

What's the big idea:
Just last week our sister blog, SalesPromotion Blog, talked about how the internet is making sales promotions formulaic and predictable. Not satisfied with merely copying a mechanic, this promotion appears to be a Kit Kat Clone of a very similar campaign by Walkers Crisps - see below for our head to head comparison. The concept is relatively simple. Create brand interest and PR about some new flavours you're considering and engage consumers in a competition to choose their favourite. Consumers are incentivised for the privilege with cold hard cash. As with the Walkers Clash of the Comics, each flavour is being championed by a comedian. In this variant the comedians aren't household names - more what you might call up and coming. 

How:
Visit Twitbook, like the Kit Kat UK page (obviously), choose your favourite flavour and place your vote.

What's on offer:
45 x £100 (€120 in ROI) 
A daily draw from that day's entries for 40 days plus 5 for the late entry draw.

Website:
www.facebook.com/kitkatuk

When:
Live from 16th January until 24th February 2012 with a late entry draw for entries made after this date until 1 second before midnight on 23rd March 2012.    

Any good?
If imitation is the highest form of flattery then Nestlé has paid Walkers a huge compliment. In fact the differences between the two campaigns are not so much wafer thin (which are quite chunky in this case) but potato-crisp thin.

Category	KitKat Chunky	Walkers Crisps
Trialling New Flavours	✔	✔
Voting Contest	✔	✔
Fronted by Comics	✔	✔
Hosted on Facebook	✔	✔
Prize Draw Incentive	✔	✘
Charitable Donation	✘	✔
Humourous	tbc	✔
Running in January	✔	✔
Alliteration in the Title	✔	✔

Is it a good campaign in it's own right ignoring the promotional plagiarism? Well a vote based promotion is still relatively rare so it has some merit for not following the perennial Instant Win model. Some of the content is still not up on the Facebook page so there may well be other elements to assess over the coming weeks.

Overall a disappointing cover version of the classic Walkers original. 

Diet Coke - Get Glam with £5 off Benefit Cosmetics

Campaign:
Diet Coke - Get Glam with £5 off £20 spend on Benefit Cosmetics

Running on:
330ml single cans, 500ml single PET bottles, 2ltr single PET bottles, 330ml 6-packs, 330ml 8-packs, 330ml 10-packs, 330ml 12-packs, 330ml 15-packs - Coca-Cola GB

What's the big idea:
We've mentioned the long established collector scheme Coke Zone before. It's a smart idea which Coca-Cola has utilised to great effect by providing on-going discounts, with occasional headlined tactical partners which help reinvigorate the platform.

This campaign is no exception and this time they've teamed up with Benefit Cosmetics as a partner brand bang on target with their customer base.

How:
Text the 12 digit unique code from promotional packs to 88555 or enter it online at Coke Zone. You will then be given a 16 digit "£5 off £20 spend" code for use on Benefit Cosmetics website.

What's on offer:
£5 off £20 spend discount
Valid at Benefit Cosmetics only

£100 to Spend at Benefit
There will be bonus draw on 21st May for all entries received between 19th March and 20th May. The winner will receive £100 gift code for use on Benefit Cosmetics website.

Website:
www.dietcokeglam.co.uk

When:
Valid from 3rd January to 18th March
A catch all draw for a £100 voucher will cover entries between this close date and 20th May 2012. 

Any good?
The breadth and ambition of Coke Zone is impressive, but any long standing promotion can suffer from familiarity fatigue. So, these regular injections of Glitz and Glamour can only help breathe new life into a programme that's still looking pretty hot for it's age. 

Morrisons - Win Free Shopping This January

Campaign:
Morrisons - Win Free Shopping this January

Running on:
Grocery shopping in Morrisons - WM Morrison Supermarkets plc

What's the big idea:
Competition is fierce. All the supermarkets are trying to convince you that they're the best value, that every little saving helps or they're 10% cheaper than everyone's else. Clearly they can't all be right, so we consumers take into account more subjective criteria like quality of produce, convenience, ambience or friendliness of staff.

Morrisons has developed quite a distinct offering compared to its rivals, that of freshness and providence. Their in-store butchers, bakers, fishmongers and fruit and veg market strike a fine balance between high street intimacy and conglomerate purchasing power.

Often later to the table than the others on their initiatives, they often take a considered and measured approach when they do eventually follow suit with a particular trend. The free shopping this January is one such example - but was it worth the wait?

How:
Purchase your Morrisons groceries as normal. Your reference number will automatically be entered into the draw for that store for that day. After 8am the following morning you can visit the promotional website and enter the details from your till receipt to see if you were one of the lucky winners. Certain purchases are excluded as you might expect. 

What's on offer:
Win the value of your till receipt
5 winners per participating store every day throughout January. Excludes obvious things like fuel, dry cleaning, pharmacy, fireworks, cashback, tobacco, lottery, mobile topups, photos and kiosk purchases in most stores. Kiosk purchases at some locations are allowed but you'll have to check the website for that. 

Website:
www.morrisons.co.uk/freeshopping

When:
Live from 2nd January until 31st January
You have until 29 February 2012 to claim your prize 

Any good?
If you normally shop elsewhere, this may well entice you to take the plunge just to see if you can win the value of your groceries back. However it doesn't provide the uncompromising safety nets offered by Asda or Tesco in their equivalent promotions. In the Morrisons campaign you're fairly unlikely to be the winner. At least if you would have saved money shopping elsewhere you get it back (plus a bonus) with the other schemes.

January is a tough time for hard pressed shoppers counting the cost of the indulgent festivities. But, for the punters that do win their groceries paid for, one can imagine that the delight and feel-good factor would ingratiate them towards Morrisons for life.

Overall it's a generous offering, but whether you win or not is a total lottery. We'd have preferred to see SOMETHING for everyone even if it's only 10% off your next shop. Otherwise it's a fair effort to check just to go home empty handed.

McDonald's Happy Meal - Mudpuddle Farm books offer

Campaign:
McDonald's Happy Meals - Mudpuddle Farm Book offer

Running on:
McDonald's Happy Meals - McDonald's UK

What's the big idea:
Michael Morpurgo is not only the former Children's Laureate, but he's very much the man of the moment with his epic Warhorse novel currently running as a hot West End show and the subject of the latest Spielberg movie. Whether by shrewd planning on McDonald's part or a fortuitous coincidence, they are offering massive discounts on Morpurgo's Mudpuddle Farm stories, redeemable through WHSmith.

How:
Buy a Happy Meal during the qualifying period and take the voucher cut out from promotional boxes to your nearest WHSmith to get your discounted book. Visit the Happy Meals website for additional downloads and follow the link to create your very own farmyard story and the chance to have it printed into a book.

What's on offer:
Discounted Mudpuddle Farm books at WHSMith
Currently featured books are Wombat goes Walkabout and Cock-a-Doodle-Doo Mr Sultana both for £1, which is a saving of £2.99 and £3.99 respectively. The available titles may vary from time to time.

Website:
www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/promotions/Happy-meal.html

When:
You can get vouchers until 7th February and they must be redeemed by 22nd February. 

Any good?
Fast food marketing to children is a perennial political hot potato and everyone involved is hyper-alert to the underlying issues. So much so, San Francisco officials banned Happy Meals with toys as a legitimate reward system for enticing kids to eat fast food over a certain calorific value. 2012 is supposed to herald the introduction of healthier meals to the Happy Meal range under a very respectable 600 calories. This at least puts the responsibility back on the parents for the meal they actually buy their children.

This promotion is offering nutrition of a different sort, fuelling the imaginations of young minds - an aspiration which no parent could criticise. With the addition of a free hand puppet and the chance to create your own stories, the promotion goes a long way towards encouraging bonding time between child and parent which in itself is hugely beneficial. 

Taken as a pure promotion, you're receiving a discount back worth more than the cost of a typical Happy Meal (£2.20 ish) and feeding your children wholesome literary sustenance into the bargain.