Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Contest in the Rearview, Contest on the Horizon



At the Real Deal Brazil, we like giving stuff away. Obviously, as a small company, we can't just go nuts about it; yet when we can, it's our way of saying thanks to all of you for being such dedicated fans of who we are, and what we do. Which explains why we're really into contests. Giveaways, and what have you. Sometimes, we're very, very obvious about it. Other times, not so much.

And as to the latter:

Recently, we wrapped up a contest that you had to have been really paying attention to even know was going on. Many folks still doubt it happened; consider this recent fan comment from our Facebook site:

"I keep hearing about contests, secret or otherwise, but have yet to actually see one."

Ah, but one happened, good fan! One happened!

It went like this: For a couple of months, we added roughly one letter a week to the corners of our changing profile pics, thus:


(We can't not comment, by the way, about how much we love the above pic of South Dakota Real Deal Brazil fan Rafael Andrade! Raf is reacting here to the rattlesnakes he's been warned might be lurking in the scrubby
brush all around him in his home state's Badlands National Park.)

Admittedly, we did intentionally skip one week of posting letters with profile pics, and we did also double up on letters at least twice, just to be, y'know, jerks. Heh, heh.

Strung together, the letters ultimately spelled out: GOHEREYOUWINAHATDOTCOM.

Even once people started to catch on as to what was being spelled out, it threw some folks for a loop, because they tried to make the whole thing a URL, as in GoHereYouWinAHat.com. Alas, that wasn't it. You had to see the "GoHere" part as a direction, as in:

Go here: YouWinAHat.com.

So if you haven't been, go there and see for yourself!

The first three folks to find their way there each won a Real Deal Brazil recycled-tarp hat, and a choice of RDB Hat Hitch Wind Strap or Coconut Hat Band. Everyone after that likely just gnashed their teeth a bit, realizing they were, as the saying doesn't quite go, a day late and a free RDB hat short.

Still, a pat on the back to any and all of you who figured it out. Because when it was all said and done, not all that many folks caught on to what was going on.

Our winners, in order of their arrival:

1. Jenn Kunze of West Barnstable, Mass., seen immediately below, giving the world a friendly hello, of sorts.


2. Mack Simpson of Richardson, Texas, appearing below in the midst of a mysterious Texas ritual involving RDB hats, cacti and tequila. And from what we can gather, a lot of tequila.


3. Eric Spence of Winthrop, Mass. Unfortunately, we have no photo of Eric to share.

Jenn and Mack have been Real Deal Brazil fans for quite some time, so we've managed to accumulate a few photos along the way. The two pics posted above are obviously among our favorites.

Our belated formal congratulations to all three smarty-pants winners!

As for all the rest of you fine folks: If you see something unusual on our site, assume we might be up to something; we often are! But one piece of advice: If you think you're on to us, don't necessarily share your suspicions on our site, as you might tip someone else off to winning something that could be yours instead (this happened more than once in the contest in question). Not that we in any way advocate greed and failing to help out your fellow fan -- that would, after all, be wrong! We're, y'know, just sayin', is all.

And as for Real Deal Brazil contests yet to come? Look no further than soon. Really, really soon.

Is it tomorrow yet?

2 comments:

mtn-man said...

Nice! A puzzle contest! Nicely done RDB. I was in the rotation and never caught on to the puzzle. A thing of beauty.

koneko said...

Hey Mtn-Man, maybe you should take up geocaching... that kinda thing helps keep your brain sharp, ya know!