45 Examples of Branded Contests

While branded contests are nothing new, these types of company-sponsored competitions have taken a new shape in response to changing consumers habits. Indeed, the simple sweepstakes of the past have been replaced with more engaging and interactive competitions that seek to engage consumers in new and exciting ways.

In recent years, contests that involve crowdsourcing new ideas have become extremely popular -- particularly among food and beverage brands. For example, Quaker's Bring Your Best Bowl contest gave fans a chance to choose the next flavor of instant oatmeal from the brand by submitting their own recipes. Nabisco launched a similar contest called My Oreo Creation, which asked fans to choose the newest cookie flavor and enter to win a trip to New York City.

Beyond the crowdsourcing model, many branded contests now feature experiential elements. This means that fans get to interact with the brand in a more hands-on way in order to claim their prize. Examples of experiential contests include the Coors Light Games and Columbia Sportswear's Agent of Tough competition.