Fashion And Beauty Freebies Seventeen Magazines Promotional Sweepstakes And Shopping App

Seventeen magazine has implemented innovative promotional strategies to engage readers and offer valuable free samples and deals through both digital sweepstakes and a dedicated mobile application. These programs provide consumers with opportunities to access fashion and beauty products at no cost while creating stronger connections between the publication and its audience. The promotional initiatives, including a daily freebies sweepstakes and a shopping companion app, demonstrate how traditional media brands are adapting to mobile-first consumer behaviors.

Daily Freebies Sweepstakes Program

Seventeen magazine conducted a sweepstakes program titled "April 2015 Daily Freebies and Grand Prize Sweepstakes" which offered readers the chance to win daily prizes and a grand prize package. The program operated under official rules that clearly stated no purchase was necessary to enter or win, emphasizing that a purchase or payment of any kind would not increase an individual's chances of winning. This approach aligned with standard promotional practices that ensure accessibility to all potential participants regardless of purchasing ability.

The entry period for this sweepstakes extended from April 1, 2015 at 12:00 AM (Eastern Time) through April 30, 2015 at 12:00 AM (Eastern Time). Participants had two distinct methods of entry: either downloading the free Seventeen for iPhone application and following the provided entry instructions, or visiting seventeen.com/freebies to complete and submit an online entry form according to the on-screen instructions. Each day's sweepstakes began at 12:00 AM (ET), and winners for each daily drawing were posted on seventeen.com/freebies approximately five days after the conclusion of that specific daily sweepstakes.

The sweepstakes structure permitted one entry per person for each 24-hour time frame, with multiple entries for a single daily sweepstakes resulting in disqualification. Each daily drawing was treated as a separate contest that required individual entry. All eligible entries across the month were aggregated to determine the two grand prize winners, who would receive a "rainy day outfit package" consisting of a trench coat, pair of rain boots, and umbrella. The approximate retail value (ARV) for each grand prize package was $191, making the total value $382 for both prizes combined.

Daily prizes featured varying approximate retail values ranging from $8 to $129, with specific prize details for each day announced on the following day. The selection process for both daily and grand prize winners involved random drawings conducted by Seventeen magazine, with all decisions considered final. The odds of winning depended directly on the total number of eligible entries received for each daily sweepstakes, while for the grand prize, odds were determined by the aggregate number of eligible entries received throughout the entire sweepstakes period.

Notification and Prize Collection Process

The winner notification process followed a structured timeline to ensure fairness and proper documentation. Winners were notified within one month of the final day of the sweepstakes, at the sponsor's discretion, through various channels including social media, email, phone, or postal mail as appropriate. The notification period concluded with the posting of winner names on seventeen.com/freebies approximately five days after the last daily sweepstakes ended.

Upon notification, potential winners were required to respond via email within five business days to provide requested contact information. Failure to respond to the notification or accept the prize within this five-business-day window resulted in the prize being forfeited, at which point an alternate winner would be selected. This strict timeframe ensured that prizes could be awarded in a timely manner and prevented unnecessary delays in the distribution process.

For those seeking verification of winners, Seventeen magazine provided a method to obtain the official list of winners. Interested parties could send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Seventeen magazine at floor 35, Daily Sweepstakes Winners' List, Hearst Communications, Inc., 300 West 57th Street, NY, NY 10019. This request had to be made within two months from the winner notification date, providing a reasonable window for interested individuals to receive this information.

The Seventeen Shopping Insider Mobile Application

Beyond the sweepstakes program, Seventeen magazine developed a mobile shopping companion application designed to enhance reader engagement and facilitate back-to-school shopping experiences. The app, named "Seventeen Shopping Insider," was introduced alongside the magazine's September back-to-school issue and was available as a free download for iPhone devices. This mobile strategy reflected the publisher's recognition that its target demographic—primarily high school and college students—relied heavily on mobile technology for shopping and content consumption.

The application incorporated Digimarc digital watermarking technology to enable mobile activation of content throughout the magazine. Developed by Nellymoser Inc., the app allowed users to scan more than 250 mobile-activated editorial fashion and beauty images, as well as Seventeen-branded shopping bag icons featured in both editorial and advertising content. This scanning capability transformed the traditional magazine reading experience into an interactive shopping tool, enabling readers to save items of interest directly to their mobile devices.

The app's functionality extended beyond simple scanning to include comprehensive shopping features. Users could build personalized shopping lists, access style ideas through mobile flipbooks and videos, and retrieve detailed product information. A particularly valuable feature allowed users to click through directly to sponsor websites to make purchases, creating a seamless path from inspiration to transaction. This integration between content and commerce addressed the common consumer behavior of identifying desired items during media consumption but struggling to remember or access them later during actual shopping trips.

Exclusive Mobile Promotions and Deals

The Seventeen Shopping Insider app offered numerous exclusive promotions and deals from advertising partners, providing tangible value to users who engaged with the platform. These offers represented significant savings opportunities across multiple fashion and beauty retailers:

• Aéropostale provided $10 off purchases of $50 or more
• G by Guess offered 20% off full-priced items
• 2b bebe provided 20% off full-priced items
• Bakers offered 20% off full-priced items
• Biore complexion clearing products were available as three free trial-size samples
• NYC Big Bold Mascara came with a free gift with purchase

These promotions strategically targeted the magazine's core demographic with relevant brands and products, particularly those aligned with back-to-school shopping needs. The inclusion of both percentage-based discounts and free trial samples catered to different consumer preferences, with the latter allowing risk-free product trials for beauty consumers.

The app also incorporated social media functionality, enabling users to share items of interest directly to Facebook and Twitter platforms. This feature leveraged the social nature of shopping among younger demographics and provided additional promotional exposure for the featured products and brands. By facilitating sharing, the app extended its reach beyond individual users to their social networks, creating organic promotion opportunities.

Reader Engagement and Brand Strategy

The development of the Seventeen Shopping Insider app reflected a strategic approach to reader engagement and brand partnership opportunities. According to Howard Grier, associate publisher of marketing at Seventeen, the app capitalized on one of the magazine's greatest strengths: its ability to drive readers to retail. The mobile application transformed this strength by creating a "custom shopping list right on their mobile device while adding shopping incentives at the same time," effectively bridging the gap between inspiration and purchase.

Roger Matus, executive vice president of Nellymoser Inc., highlighted how the app addressed a gap in existing magazine shopping applications. Most such apps assumed readers would make immediate purchases, but Seventeen's research indicated that readers often identified items of interest during magazine consumption but needed a mechanism to preserve that information for later shopping trips. The app solved this problem by allowing users to scan items and build digital shopping lists that could be accessed anytime through their mobile devices.

The app's introduction coincided with the back-to-school shopping season, a particularly busy period for Seventeen's target demographic of high school and college students. By focusing on this seasonal shopping opportunity, the magazine provided immediate utility to its readers while creating value for advertising partners who could reach consumers at a critical decision-making moment. The timing of the app launch ensured maximum relevance and adoption during a period when readers were actively seeking fashion and beauty products.

Seventeen magazine, published by Hearst Magazines, reported reaching more than 13 million readers monthly, providing a substantial audience for both the sweepstakes program and the mobile application. This broad reach enhanced the value proposition for advertising partners and ensured that promotional offers received significant exposure among the desired demographic. The app served as an additional touchpoint in the brand's multi-platform ecosystem, complementing the print magazine and digital presence with a mobile-specific experience.

Eligibility and Program Limitations

Both the daily freebies sweepstakes and the mobile application program operated under specific eligibility requirements and limitations that participants needed to understand. For the sweepstakes, while no purchase was necessary to enter, participants needed to be aware of several important constraints:

• Only one entry was permitted per person per 24-hour period
• Multiple entries for a single daily sweepstakes resulted in disqualification
• Entries became the property of the sponsor and would not be returned
• Proof of submission did not constitute proof of receipt
• Inaccurate, lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, or tampered-with entry forms were disqualified
• Online entrants needed to maintain a valid email address and update the sponsor of any changes
• In cases of disputes over entrant identity, the prize would be awarded to the authorized account holder of the email address

The sweepstakes rules also included provisions for Canadian participants, who would be required to correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question as a condition of receiving a prize. This requirement aligned with Canadian contest regulations and ensured compliance with legal standards across both countries.

For the mobile application, while free to download, certain features like accessing exclusive deals required active participation through scanning and engagement with the app's functionality. The app's effectiveness depended on users regularly updating their content and taking advantage of the mobile-activated features throughout the print magazine.

Conclusion

Seventeen magazine's promotional initiatives, including the April 2015 Daily Freebies Sweepstakes and the Shopping Insider mobile application, demonstrated innovative approaches to engaging readers with fashion and beauty content while providing tangible value through free samples and exclusive deals. The sweepstakes program offered accessible entry methods with no purchase required, daily prizes ranging from $8 to $129 in value, and a grand prize package worth $191 per winner. The mobile application transformed the traditional magazine experience into an interactive shopping tool, enabling users to scan items, build shopping lists, and access exclusive promotions from major retailers.

These programs reflected the magazine's understanding of its audience's mobile-first behaviors and shopping preferences, particularly during key seasons like back-to-school. By creating multiple touchpoints for engagement—both through the sweepstakes and the app—Seventeen strengthened its connection with readers while providing valuable opportunities for advertising partners to reach consumers in meaningful ways. The combination of no-cost entry opportunities, practical shopping functionality, and exclusive deals made these promotions attractive to deal-seeking consumers interested in fashion and beauty products.

Sources

1. Seventeen Magazine April 2015 Daily Freebies and Grand Prize Official Rules

2. Marketing Dive: Seventeen Magazine Drives Back-to-School Shopping via New Mobile App