Creative Presentations
Many sweeps are offered through a Creative Presentation. The grand prize, usually a large cash prize, is common, the smaller prizes are usually through the company sponsoring the sweeps.
ePrize
ePrize, a company that runs sweeps sponsored by other companies uses the same principal, the grand prize is common, the smaller prizes are usually from the sponsor. In the case of this type of Creative Presentation, one sponsor is randomly drawn from the participating sponsors, then the grand prize winner is drawn is drawn from the entries of that sponsor. There are probably close to 100, if not more, different sweeps involved in any of the creative presentations run by ePrize.
Reader's Digest
The sweep offered by Reader's Digest Select Editions, Readers Digest, Family Handyman and A Taste of Home are a creative presentation. From the rules, it looks like the winner is chosen like above.
Hearst Publishing
Hearst Publishing was involved in the Dream Come True, Dream of a Life series of sweeps administered by Ventura Associates until this year.
Hearst Publishing (Good Housekeeping, Popular Mechanics, House Beautiful, etc.) has one going now that ends in January 2009. Only one grand prize will be awarded regardless of where your entry originated.
Ventura Associates
Ventura Associates administers many creative presentations as well.
- Dream Come True ran from October 15, 2005 to January 15, 2007. Hearst Publishing was the primary sponsor, you could enter through any unique entry. This Old House Magazine (Time) and Botanic Choice were also involved.
- Dream of a Lifetime ran October 15, 2006 to January 31, 2008. In addition to the above sponsors, Hachette Filipacchi Media (Womans Day, Car & Driver, etc.) also came on board
- Dream Come True runs from October 15, 2007 to January 30, 2009. At this writing (February 12, 2008) Only the Hachette Filipacchi Media publications and Sherman's Travel Magazine are involved, or at least that's all of the entries I can find.
They are totally different sweepstakes. However, you will find that after the date the new one starts, quite often you will be entering the new sweeps from your bookmark instead of the one you think you are entering. They do actually let a couple of the entry pages expire, but usually they go right from one to the other. The older sweeps can still be entered through alternate means like mail in entries, but not online. If you start having a problem entering after October 15th, check the rules.
When I questioned the change in January 2007 one response was as follows:
"You would have been entered into the promotion that was indicated on the entry page (as listed above). Although the entry forms may have been similar in appearance, the databases that collected the entries were distinct one for Dream of a Lifetime, and one for Dream Come True. "
That would not really be true. There is at least one form that says Dream Come True, but the rules are Dream of a Lifetime. I have an old bookmark that says Dream of a Lifetime but the rules are Dream Come True, so I questioned again.
"To return to the first question, if the entry screen changed to the newer promotion's title, your entry would have been submitted for the newer promotion, as I stated below. Although it may have labeled it as the Dream Come True sweepstakes on the link/bookmark, the presenter had apparently changed the creative presentation and the entry device to the newer Dream of a Lifetime sweepstakes. It is legally permissible for any sweepstakes presenter, at its discretion, to elect not to advertise a promotion, even though it is still technically open. "
Reader's Digest is the same way. But since I already have a problem with Reader's Digest sweeps loading slow, it's harder to tell when the change over might be happening. Again, they are two different sweepstakes.
- The $30,000 Winner-Take-All Prize (#602) ended February 17, 2007
- The $30,000 Winner-Take-All Prize (#802) ends February 19, 2008
- The $30,000 Winner-Take-All Prize (#092) ends February 17, 2009
If you see one of their sweeps listed as new on a sweeps site, make sure your are not already entering it, check your bookmarks and check the rules from your bookmarks.
