2015: You Lose Some…
You can’t win ’em all. Yesterday I shared my 2015 comping successes – but each year I like to share my favourite entries that didn’t win prizes too. I have so much fun entering comps, and don’t mind too much if I don’t win – after all, losing entries can often be recycled for a different competition!
Don’t forget you could win a £50 Amazon voucher by sharing your own 2015 comping successes – find the details on my You Win Some… post.
Losing it…
Emmi Caffe Latte gave away an iPhone a day for 100 days in 2015 – what a generous promoter! In the early stages we weren’t sure whether winners were judged or chosen at random, so lots of compers came up with some great creative entries on the daily theme. Here’s my favourite, on the theme of ‘red’! Unfortunately for us, this promotion proved very popular across Europe, with hundreds of photos submitted daily!
TM Lewin asked customers to send in photos of them wearing their clothes to win a holiday and weekly prizes. I copied Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction for my entry – hopefully this one can be recycled in future!
Audible ran a competition on Instagram to show how you listened to ebooks, so I entered with an Alice in Wonderland ‘shrinking’ theme using a pair of giant sized earphone speakers!
Ryland spent ages creating his ‘dream home’ for a HomeAway competition… unfortunately the Playdoh went crusty and shrank within a day or two, leaving us with a homeless Playmobil family…
I put lots of effort into our Halloween photos this year – we had two Halloween nights out in different outfits…
The headless man costume had to be my favourite all time Halloween costume though. I was disappointed not to win anything with this one, but I’m sure some of the photos can be used again!
This year I was disappointed not to get a decent win in a ‘purchase necessary’ competition. I bought hair dye, lottery tickets, dishwasher tablets, Tena Lady, champagne, M&Ms, Bueno bars, toilet roll, tissues – and almost drowned in Muller and Onken yogurt, to no avail. I’m hoping I’ll do better in 2016!
What about your failures? Did you spend hours – or even days – on a competition entry that flopped? Don’t let it go unrewarded – share it in the comments!
Don’t forget to enter my prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher – details on my You Win Some… post!
I dont really enter these sort of comps where you get creative. I am definitely going to this year though, as win or not, they look great fun to do 🙂 x
I love your “headless” picture Di! It reminds me of when I was about 10 and my sister was 8. We were on holiday and my Mum entered us into a fancy-dress competition and she made us into a headless phantom. We were both under a sheet, me completely unable to see and my sister bent double with her head under my arm, leading the way! Fab memories and our first comp win!
How fantastic! No photographic evidence though? What a shame!!!!
Told off by the vicar – argh!!!!!!!! Bad luck. I thought we might get in trouble when I did my ‘mummy’ shoot a few years back in the local graveyard actually… Hope you have more success in 2016!
Di your photographs are amazing and so inventive,Im really suprised that you didnt win with them.Thats the thing thoiugh isnt it, if a photo competition is judged and lots of them seem to be, then its personal to the judges and there may be so many superb clever ones to chose from.
Like a lot of people I entered the Emmi Cafe competition without success,however it was useful as a learning tool to see which images did win. Also I didnt win with the monopoly scratch card or should I say lose. I bought several and kept winning small amounts only actually put 1 card into the draw.
Anyway I am looking forward to 2016 and your always interesting and entertaining blog.
Happy New year and thanks for the competition.
Reards from Sandra
I think so many promoters forget to include any kind of proper judging criteria – instead of ‘original’, ‘relevant to the brand’ or ‘creative’ they just say ‘our favourite will win’ which gives you no clue on how they’re choosing! But I always have fun with my entries so never see them as time wasted. Hope you have a lucky 2016!
I’ve tried not to feel too ’emotionally attached’ to my entries this year – which is hard to do sometimes when you really put in lots of time and effort. I don’t think i’ve had too many this year that i’ve felt gutted about as i haven’t entered so many. Did do a video recipe though which took hours and didn’t win but i still really like the video and feel proud of it instead of feeling like a ‘failiure’ which is how i used to feel so i guess i’m really learning to enjoy the up and downs of this hobby regardless of the outcome. I think as long as competitions are administered fairly and judged properly and announced in a timely way it makes it more fun taking part all round x
I’m still trying the squashums selfies 1 but I’m not having much luck there. And I feel your pain on the onken promo, I must have tried so may different recipes to use it all up too!
I think we were eating curry and tagine for weeks, still can’t believe I didn’t win on that one!
I always feel really bad when I don’t win with effort comps, like I am a failure, or it’s because I personally don’t look good enough! I’m so pleased you shared these snaps, these are awesome and didn’t win, so it makes me feel much better about my own “failures”!
Oh, don’t ever think of a losing entry as a failure – if you enjoyed yourself while doing it, it was worthwhile! Sometimes I have great ideas that just don’t come across well in the photo, but there’s always next time! Wishing you luck for 2016 Karen!
I can’t believe none of those pictures won anything – particularly liked the Una Thurman
I bet there will be a comp to use that one in future – it’s been the one time I had perfect hair for it!!
I entered the Emmi Cafe and Onken daily ones and never won – was gutted as I put a lot of effort and money in both!
I entered a tm levin comp and they totally cheated. they asked for photo and vide entries that would be judged by a famous football manager. they posted a video of the manager picking three winners that were photos (first second and third place). he held up the printouts on screen. the table showed he only had three printouts to choose from.
this made me suspicious, you can’t print out a video on a piece of paper. i contacted tm levin they ignored my questions,
with the threat of ASA they finally admitted the staff had chosen three photos they liked and had the manager pick the main winner form just three photo entries. ASA did nothing. don’t you hate it when companies are blatantly running a comp and just interested in the gain they get and not running a fair competition . how many times have you heard a companies excuse as “its just a bit of fun”
isn’t there a law that companies have to follow running comps and gambling ? not an asa code.
There are proper UK laws governing gambling and lotteries – but unfortunately not prize promotions! As you say, entrants may have devoted many hours (or days) to making an entry, for it to be brushed aside and not judged properly. The ASA don’t do enough, and sometimes it’s people power that works better – but unfortunately in most cases the winner has already been informed and the complainants just look like sore losers…. bah!
Love your Halloween costume Di you are a very talented lady x
Thanks Helen – I did think that one was rather good (if a little uncomfortable!)
We were awash with Onken! So, so, so much Onken and not a single win. I finally bought my dream KitchenAid in the sales this week using vouchers I’d won during the year. 🙂
I entered the Emmi Cafe Late almost every day and even had a couple of my shots featured in the gallery. But, alas, no win. I think I’m about a decade over their winning entries. And, like you, no luck on purchase competitions.
2016 will be the year Monica! Bring on the yogurt!!!!
Looks like you had a lot of fun either way! 🙂
That headless halloween costume is fantastic! I’m amazed you didn’t win anything with that! I hope it brings you luck at some point!
I’m certain it will return from the dead next Halloween!
I was awash with soup cartons trying to win a flippin mini but nothing doing. At least my fridge is clear again after washing and keeping all the cartons. They are now in my recycling bin. Xx
I think I put mine away somewhere safe – I’ve yet to find them!!!