1-800-FLOWERS.COM has put a new twist to its Hand Us a Line for Your Valentine contest: it has added a sweeps, giving all registrants a chance for the big prize, not just those who pen a love note.
The online card-writing promotion asks entrants to craft words of love and romance within 19 categories, such as those for a husband, wife, child, significant other or friend. And within each category, specific sentiments can be written that are either humorous, romantic or sentimental.
“So many people are at a loss for words on what to say with that card message that goes along with the dozen roses and not everyone can be eloquent,” says Kim Hennig, VP-advertising and promotion for 1-800-Flowers.com.
Last years' contest — which attracted more than 20,000 entries — awarded prizes based on a system in which participants rated the poems and writings, with the most popular rising to the top. A panel of experts picked the grand-prize winner. This month, any registrant to the sweeps has a chance to win whether they have the artistic notion to craft a love poem or just want to borrow one someone else has written.
“One does not have to have creative-writing ability in order to participate,” Hennig says. “Everybody can play.”
The grand-prize is seven days and six nights at the Couples Swept Away resort in Negril, Jamaica. First prize is four days and three nights at the resort, and 30 second prizes include a pair of CDs by British singer and songwriter Dido and a $25 gift certificate to 1-800-flowers. Dido will give a personal call to let grand and first-prize winners know they have won.
The flower and gift marketer is promoting the sweeps — handled in-house — which began Jan. 16 and ends on Valentine's Day, through e-mails to some of its 10 million customers and through a dedicated section on its homepage.
