Campaign Overview

Instacart partnered with Purina to launch the Pawliday Photo Contest, a festive user-generated content (UGC) activation designed to engage pet owners and elevate brand visibility during the holiday season. Running for two weeks in December, the promotion invited consumers to share seasonal photos of their furry friends for the chance to win Purina products and Instacart gift cards.

By combining a festive, holiday-inspired theme with a highly shareable contest format, the campaign deepened both brands’ connection with pet-loving households and expanded reach through organic consumer participation.

Our Solution

Realtime Media provided full-service support for the promotion across legal administration, microsite development, and winner administration & fulfillment— ensuring a smooth and cohesive contest experience. RTM also integrated a featured product offer to encourage exploration and drive purchase consideration.

Our Approach

• Three-Phase Contest Flow: RTM implemented a structured, three-phase photo contest through a dedicated promotion microsite. The experience guided users from the call-for-entry period, to an interim gallery view during the judging phase, and finally to the public winner announcement—all managed through seamless on-site updates.
• Prizes: One lucky “Best in Show” winner received a Grand Prize valued at $500, including a $250 Purina product basket and a $250 Instacart digital gift card. Four additional winners each earned a First Prize valued at $150, featuring a $50 Purina product basket and a $100 Instacart gift card.

Key Benefits

• ‍Activated Instacart Partnership: Connected both brands through a cohesive, co-branded digital experience that highlighted Instacart’s collaboration with Purina and encouraged broad consumer participation.‍
• Increased Brand Awareness: Expanded visibility by encouraging seasonal UGC submissions, showcasing approved entries in a public gallery featuring authentic pet-owner content that amplified consumer engagement and extended the campaign’s reach.‍
• Drove Purchase Consideration: Featured a prominently displayed $5 off $25+ Purina products offer, showcased directly beneath the entry and gallery section and linked to Purina.com for seamless product exploration and purchase.

Conclusion

The Instacart and Purina Pawliday Photo Contest demonstrated how a simple, well-structured UGC experience can spark meaningful engagement during a high-visibility season.

By combining a festive theme with strategic offer placement, Purina and Instacart successfully connected with pet owners while driving both awareness and product interest.

Interested in learning more about how we can help with your next Digital Promotion? Get in touch with us today!  

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