Help me come up with a simple, awesome newspaper contest.
August 21, 2006 12:34 PM Subscribe
Help me come up with a simple, awesome newspaper contest.
I'm the editor of a small arts and entertainment newsweekly, and just recently a musician offered us some free tickets and swag for a contest.
His music is a little country and a little mellow rock.
What should we do?
I'm the editor of a small arts and entertainment newsweekly, and just recently a musician offered us some free tickets and swag for a contest.
His music is a little country and a little mellow rock.
What should we do?
Oh, you're not radio. Nevermind.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:43 PM on August 21, 2006
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:43 PM on August 21, 2006
Does he know any very unlikely songs, like something from the canon of GWAR or DeBarge or some equally unlikely source? You can do a multiple choice, "David Picco has been known to cover which of these three songs:" etc., etc.
posted by Sara Anne at 12:54 PM on August 21, 2006
posted by Sara Anne at 12:54 PM on August 21, 2006
I like contests where entrants have to demonstrate their knowledge/fandom of the artist. That way you know it's going to someone who appreciates it. Trivia questions, scavenger hunt (e.g. requires checking out the liner notes, artist's web site, etc.), or just a short essay on why they should be the one to get the tickets.
posted by winston at 12:59 PM on August 21, 2006
posted by winston at 12:59 PM on August 21, 2006
Who are his influences? (the musician's, that is)
You could have a very short quiz with questions like, "Who wrote X?" where X is one of the musician's favorite songs.
Five questions, max.
In addition to the giveaway, run the correct answers along with a brief relevant interview with the musician ("The song X was very influential to me when I was about 14. I used to dance around in my underwear singing it, long before I imagined I'd become a musician myself.") in the next issue.
So, what do we get if we suggest the best contest? Is this a contest for contest creation? Where's my prize?
posted by brina at 1:45 PM on August 21, 2006
You could have a very short quiz with questions like, "Who wrote X?" where X is one of the musician's favorite songs.
Five questions, max.
In addition to the giveaway, run the correct answers along with a brief relevant interview with the musician ("The song X was very influential to me when I was about 14. I used to dance around in my underwear singing it, long before I imagined I'd become a musician myself.") in the next issue.
So, what do we get if we suggest the best contest? Is this a contest for contest creation? Where's my prize?
posted by brina at 1:45 PM on August 21, 2006
I wouldn't do a multiple-choice or answer-the-question contest, unless you're worried you won't get many (if any) people trying it. Think "contest", not just "test".
If you think a reasonable number of people (more than 10-15) will want these tickets, I'd say lean more to the creative side of things - especially since your paper has a more artsy, local flavor. I like Blazecock's "submit lyrics to a new song" idea, except it seems too much to ask the artist to actually write a new song based off of them. Maybe just have the newspaper select the top three and then the artist picks the winner, which gets the tickets and the swag?
Other ideas that might be a bit too much for a small, local paper would be: take a photo of yourself and friends acting out a situation in one of artist X's songs - best and most creative wins; or, record a video of yourself lip-synching along with one of artist X's song - a similar idea to Google Idol.
One more idea: have people send in a short essay about a certain song by artist X and why it's meaningful to them (i.e. helped them through a bad breakup, they love to blast it in their truck while driving through the country, or any other country / mellow rock stereotype of your choosing). The best one could perhaps even be published later alongside a review of the concert.
posted by Zephyrial at 9:58 PM on August 21, 2006
If you think a reasonable number of people (more than 10-15) will want these tickets, I'd say lean more to the creative side of things - especially since your paper has a more artsy, local flavor. I like Blazecock's "submit lyrics to a new song" idea, except it seems too much to ask the artist to actually write a new song based off of them. Maybe just have the newspaper select the top three and then the artist picks the winner, which gets the tickets and the swag?
Other ideas that might be a bit too much for a small, local paper would be: take a photo of yourself and friends acting out a situation in one of artist X's songs - best and most creative wins; or, record a video of yourself lip-synching along with one of artist X's song - a similar idea to Google Idol.
One more idea: have people send in a short essay about a certain song by artist X and why it's meaningful to them (i.e. helped them through a bad breakup, they love to blast it in their truck while driving through the country, or any other country / mellow rock stereotype of your choosing). The best one could perhaps even be published later alongside a review of the concert.
posted by Zephyrial at 9:58 PM on August 21, 2006
Best answer: His new album's called "Saturday Night/Sunday Morning." What about an essay for the wildest or funniest Saturday night and/or Sunday morning?
posted by Atom12 at 6:35 AM on August 22, 2006
posted by Atom12 at 6:35 AM on August 22, 2006
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posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:42 PM on August 21, 2006