LAUREL, Md. — Feelin’ Great (Dry Cleaning Song), featuring two well-dressed young men rapping, dancing, and extolling the benefits of having their clothes professionally cleaned by a Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) member dry cleaner, was the $5,000 grand prize winner in DLI’s recent video contest, the Institute reports.
In all, 23 entries were received from cleaning professionals, students, and members of the general public. Entries were capped at two minutes and could not promote a specific business; to qualify for the contest, each video had to log at least 100 views. DLI members voted on their favorite videos, and the Board of Directors selected the winner from finalists suggested by the membership vote.
Second place went to The Magical Dry Cleaners, and #FreshPress finished third, with each earning $100.
“This program improves the image of our member dry cleaners because it shows us as a modern service that is an important part of people’s lives and a necessary component to leading a happy and successful life,” says contest creator Dave Beatty, owner of Murrysville (Pa.) Cleaners, and DLI’s District 2 director.
“Several videos show younger people, who are an important part of the Internet and all the other social media,” Beatty says. “It shows people who make you feel very comfortable and you could easily think of them as your friends and neighbors. … This is so much more powerful than a businessperson saying, ‘Come to me for your dry cleaning.’”
Based on the program’s success, it is likely that DLI will run a similar contest in the future to continue raising awareness of the benefits of dry cleaning.
“The more cleaners who embrace these videos and put them on their websites, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and e-mails, etc., the more successful the program will become,” Beatty says. “We have more than 20 videos so everyone can find something they like and share.”
The winning videos and other entries can be viewed at www.dlionline.org/contest.
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