Watching the Indy 500 on TV recently I was reminded of a promotion we ran back at WIBC called “The Impossible Contest”. We offered ten thousand dollars to the 1st person who could correctly predict the starting position of the 33 drivers who qualified for the race.
Entries were limited to one per person and had to be received at the radio station by midnight the day before qualification day. During the whole month of May we kept claiming on air that it was “Impossible” and couldn’t be done but we got 70, 000 entries anyway. There as predicted was no winner so the following year we upped the ante a bit and changed the name to “The Possible Contest”. In this one the person who came the closest to predicting the starting line got the $10,000 and a new car. We received half the amount of entries.
Entries were limited to one per person and had to be received at the radio station by midnight the day before qualification day. During the whole month of May we kept claiming on air that it was “Impossible” and couldn’t be done but we got 70, 000 entries anyway. There as predicted was no winner so the following year we upped the ante a bit and changed the name to “The Possible Contest”. In this one the person who came the closest to predicting the starting line got the $10,000 and a new car. We received half the amount of entries.
Speaking of promotions, one of the biggest I was ever involved in was Jack McCoy’s “The Last Contest”. Here’s a taste.
OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT OTHER THINGS…
I love the saying … The future starts now, but in truth it actually doesn’t start until tomorrow so you might as well relax and have another beer.
You never hear winners say “hey man no worries it’s only a game”.
Unfortunately there are no new sins.
Is bat shit crazy as crazy as it gets or is there another level.
The two things that produce the biggest results in radio still remain the toughest to get radio folks to do … Cold Calls & Show Prep.
With FM Radio we all start with the same deck of cards, it’s how you play them that makes all the difference.
Have you ever noticed that the traffic reports on radio are always about somewhere else.
The toughest job a PD has is looking confident the day before the ratings come out.
Doing the “Do” is what makes you excellent.
Nothing intimidates a man with a gun.
Ya gotta wonder if the folks who talk on the radio use that same radio speak in the drive thru at McDonald’s.
Sometimes just wasting time is time well spent.
We are presently overwhelmed by choices.
The trouble with fitting in is obvious, you never stand out.
There is no athlete bigger than the game but there has been a few that have changed it.
Is tech the new Wall Street bubble.
Becoming famous is almost impossible to get done but unfaming yourself is even harder.
After watching 5 seasons of HBO’s “The Wire” I learned that the police care mostly about their pensions and OT.
Speaking of overtime I think it makes more sense to hire more police and pay none.
When you start talking differently your future starts look a whole lot different.
I used to really like Allen Iverson until I recently watched a documentary about him and discovered how quickly he forgave himself for his troubled life.
Just because we’re quiet when you’re talking doesn’t necessarily mean we are actually listening.
California may run out of water before they’ll ever run out of oil.
You’ll never know real fear until you become a parent.
Most Doctors didn’t graduate anywhere near the top of their class.
If it’s important enough to ya you’ll find away, if not you’ll find an excuse.
Can anybody explain why the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction isn’t held in Cleveland.
Much Much More @ GeorgeJohns.com, On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio.