Vlasic Pickles is on the hunt for newly born May babies to crown one infant as the official Vlasic Stork Baby of 2008.
Women who have had a baby or are expecting one this month can enter at www.Vlasic.com for a chance to win a $20,000 US Savings Bond through May 31. Entrants must register, submit a photo and a 50- to 100-word essay describing why they love the crunch and flavor of Vlasic Pickles and why their baby should be The Vlasic Stork Baby.
The company launched the contest to coincide with National Pickle Month, which runs through May.
The winning baby and family will receive the savings bond and trip to New York City where the company will introduce the infant as its Stork Baby on a morning talk show June 20. The top winner will also receive a year’s supply of Vlasic pickles.
The winner will receive an additional $5,000 in bond value if the winning parents make their child’s middle name “Crunch,” the company said.
The Vlasic Stork became the brand’s spokesperson in the 1970s when birth rates in the U.S. were especially low. So, the company built the mascot off its irreverent theme of delivering pickles.
And in a separate contest, Vlasic is looking for pickle-lovers to bring its iconic Stork character to life. People submit essays of 50 words or less explaining why they love the crunch and flavor of Vlasic Pickles and how they could liven up the character with their personality to http://www.Vlasic.com through June 30.
The top winner will receive a $2,500 US Savings Bond and be paid to appear as the Stork at one or more events throughout the year. Ten runners-up will each receive a $50 American Express gift certificate.
Vlasic is also running “Crunch-Offs” to help promote the contest. The Stork and teams will be traveling across the country hosting special events to let pickle-eaters show off their loud crunch for a chance to win Vlasic-branded T-shirts and other prizes. The Crunch-offs will take place in the St. Petersburg/Tampa, FL, area May 31 to June 1, Jacksonville, FL, on June 13, Indianapolis, IN, on July 3 and 4, New Britain, CT, on July 13 and Aug. 24 and Raleigh, NC, on Aug. 19.
PR and online marketing support the promotions. Vlasic’s PR agency, Bender Hammerling Group, is handling contests. LaunchPad is handling the Web site.
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