$2,500 Still
08-02-2007
SANTA MONICA, CA - As the August 14th deadline approaches, a cash prize of $2,500 is still "up for grabs" in the "Adventures of Packy Movie Mash-Up Challenge" - the company's first-ever, user-generated online contest. More than 100 entries have already been submitted!
Contestants are invited to create an animated short film starring Dippin' Dots' mascot, Packy, via an easy-to-use, web-based game tool located at http://contest.dippindots.com/ . The grand prize winner will receive $2,500 and Dippin' Dots for a year; and a wildcard winner will take home $1,000 and a six-month supply of Dippin' Dots ice cream.
Entrants will be able to produce a 15-to 90-second movie using the all-in-one director's tool. No cameras or audio/video uploads are required. The tool allows easy selection of various background scenes, animations, props and soundtracks provided by Dippin' Dots, as well as the ability to add bubble-text dialogue similar to a comic book.
A panel of Dippin' Dots judges will select the top five (5) movies based on website visitor ratings and views, plus creativity and originality. The selected movies will advance to the finals where contest members will vote for their favorite as the grand prize winner. The top five (5) movies will also be posted on YouTube where the most viewed entry will win the wildcard prize.
"The entries have been great!" said Dippin' Dots spokesman Terry Reeves. "It's amazing the amount of time and creativity our contestants have devoted to their cartoon projects. Our judges will have an extremely hard time determining the winner!"
Dippin' Dots partnered with branded entertainment firm matrixx Productions, Inc. of Santa Monica, Calif., to develop and promote the Adventures of Packy Challenge. The contest includes online marketing efforts and an SMS text message campaign powered by Mozes, Inc., a mobile marketing company located in Palo Alto, Calif. Promoted both in-store and via national account visibility, the text-based interactive mobile campaign prompts Dippin' Dots fans to text "DOTS" to 66937 to receive contest details and also join the Dots' "Mob," or mobile group, to receive exclusive updates directly to their phones.
A complete description of the prizes and contest rules can be found on the Adventures of Packy Challenge website located at www.dippindots.com/contest. The contest is open to legal U.S. residents between the ages of 8 and 25 at the time of entry. All entries must be received by
Aug. 14, 2007. No purchase is necessary to win. A panel of judges will select the finalists and contest members will be able to vote for their favorite entry once-per-day from Aug. 15 to Aug. 29, 2007. The wildcard round will run from Aug. 30 to Sept. 16, 2007.
Dippin' Dots are tiny, cryogenically frozen beads of ice cream, yogurt, sherbet and flavored ice. Invented in 1988 by microbiologist Curt Jones, Dippin' Dots offers more than two-dozen different flavors, plus seasonal flavors. The company's administrative and production headquarters are located in Paducah, Kentucky. Dippin' Dots are sold in 300 franchised retail locations and thousands of entertainment venues and special events nationwide.