One of the nation's largest home builders is hoping to build even greater brand awareness by becoming the first builder ever to participate in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Pulte Home Corp.'s entry in the cherished holiday event, which is watched annually by a national television audience estimated at 60 million, will be a float depicting the Bloomfield Hills, Mich,-based builder's interpretation of the classic children's story, the Three Little Pigs.
The tale about pigs who built houses of straw, sticks and bricks and the Big Bad Wolf who huffed and puffed and blew their houses down "is a natural platform for communicating the company's commitment to quality construction," said James Lesinksi, Pulte's vice president of marketing.
But viewers will be paying more attention to the wolf than the sturdy brick house he couldn't topple no matter how hard he blew, because his exact position on the float will be the key to determining who will become the 50 finalists in Pulte's $250,000 Dream House Sweepstakes.
To compete for a chance to win a quarter-million dollar credit toward a Pulte home in any of the company's 400-plus communities nationwide, contestants can fill out an entry form, either on line at the company's website or at any of the builder's projects. They can double their chances by entering both ways.
To become a finalist in the "watch-to-win" sweepstakes, a contestant must hold a game card that describes the exact location of the wolf on the float. The grand-prize winner will be determined by a random drawing. The 49 runners-up will win $1,000 shopping sprees at Macy's, and 500 others will win $50 Macy's gift certificates.
Quarter million is significant to Pulte in more ways than one. It also coincides with the number of houses the firm has built in it's 50-year history. Pulte now operates in 42 major metropolitan markets in 25 states. It also is the fifth largest builder in Mexico.
The contest runs through Sept. 30. The parade will be on Nov. 23. Complete contest details are available on the company's website (www.pulte.com) or at any Pulte community.
Published: July 25, 2000
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