Sex and the City "Purse-onality" Contest & Sweeps

Right now we are in a pretty ho-hum time of year for new theatrical movie releases. Everyone seems to be more focused on renting DVD's to catch up on movies that won Oscars this year. But give it about another month and it'll be the start to the summer movie blockbuster season. One that I'm personally very eager to see is the return of the ladies from New York with the release of "Sex and The City", the movie on May 30th. I'm a big fan of the series and I have to admit, I really miss these characters.

Apparently I'm not alone in loving these characters...here's an interactive promotion that began on April 1 from an online retailer that has partnered with New Line Cinema to promote the premiere of the movie.  BAG BORROW OR STEAL is a unique business which lets women borrow designer handbags and jewelry online. What an interesting business model this is. They have developed this consumer-generated content, "Style Profile Contest" which invites women to submit videos in which they identify which character whose style most resembles their own, as represented by the handbags and accessories found in their closet. So, entrants need to explain if they think they're like Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte or Miranda and why.

The videos can be submitted on YouTube and as of today there are only 16 videos to view. Some women have chosen Charlotte for her classic style and her favorite Chanel designer handbags. Other have chosen Samantha based on her desire to stand out in the crowd and have bags that are bold and colorful. Carrie's style is described as spunky, spontaneous, energetic, a real individual, so her bags are always unique. Miranda was chosen because she's a polished career-woman with a child, so the bags that she needs have to be stylish, but also be able to carry a few necessities, like extra diapers!

So, let's get some more videos up there (I'm really tempted to do one myself). Videos can be submitted up until May 9th. The first 50 people to enter will receive a $250 borrowing credit to BAG BORROW OR STEAL. One grand-prize winner will be chosen around May 14th to receive a $500 credit along with tickets to the movie premiere in New York City along with airfare, hotel, transportation and $500 spending money! They also will provide the winner with space to document her own experience in a blog which I'm interested to learn more of how they're going to go about this.

Five judges from the fashion world have been recruited to pick the winner. They are:

• Carol Han - Market Editor, Elle.com
• Jennifer Sherry - Fashion Producer, E! Entertainment
• Lesley Scott - Editor-in-Chief, Fashiontribes.com
• Marissa Rubin – Fashion Market Editor, People StyleWatch Magazine
• Pamela Pekerman – Founder and Editor-in-Chief, BagTrends.com

They'll be choosing the winner based on creativity, presentation skills and entrant’s expression of his or her passion for handbags and Sex and the City as well as the overall video quality.

A separate sweepstakes lets people take an online quiz to find their “Sex and the City purse-onality” for a chance to win additional credit, movie posters and T-Shirts.  BAG BORROW OR STEAL's website also offers a “Sex and the City” shop filled with a collection of luxury accessories inspired by the four ladies of the movie. They also have a viral marketing component that you can forward to friends and of course they have a link to the movie trailer. Kudos to BAG BORROW OR STEAL for developing a great promotion that really ties nicely into their brand as well as to the movie.

So, the hype is really going to start heating up over the next month for this movie release...Will Carrie end up marrying Mr. Big?  Check out the official movie website for more fun. There's icons and wallpapers you can download, a great soundtrack you can listen to and there's even this Official Movie Blog. It all looks great!