NEW YORK, N.Y. — The National Cleaners Association (NCA) announced last week that it is sponsoring its first “Drycleaning Dramas” video contest, which will will award a $2,500 prize to an aspiring filmmaker who features drycleaning prominently in a 30- to 120-second video. ≈
“The cleaning industry has struggled for years to harness the resources necessary to have the media deliver our side of the story to millions of consumers,” says Nora Nealis, NCA’s executive director. Inspired by David Merrman Scott’s marketing presentation at the recent “Brainstorming with The Best” conference, “we have decided to capture the online opportunities available.”The story can be comedic or serious, and NCA encourages operators to open their facilities to aspiring moviemakers, film students and amateurs for filming — or submit a film themselves. Entrants should illustrate one of NCA’s talking points in the video, showing the value of professional cleaning, explaining gender differences in pricing, showcasing good environmental practices, or revealing the work required to clean clothing and return to the customer.
For instance, what happens when a homeless man finds a ticket in the trash and comes to get his Armani suit? Or what happens when a career woman gets splashed by a bus? Is a Sex in The City moment awaiting at the drycleaner?
Contestants can team with drycleaners, get their take on things and use their facility for filming. NCA will accept entries through July 31st, and entrants can submit up to one video per week between these dates. Entries must be less than 40 MB in size and be submitted in Microsoft, AVI or QuickTime file formats. Visit www.nca-i-video.com for more information and an entry form.
An NCA committee will review the videos by Aug. 4, 2008, and upload the top 25 to YouTube.com. The video that receives the most views on the site between noon on Aug. 4, 2008, and 10:00 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2008, will win $2,500. All videos submitted will be the property of NCA.
“If contestants are wondering exactly how many hits a video like this might generate on YouTube, I suggest participants go to www.youtube.com and enter ‘Will it Blend?'” Nealis says, referring to a popular series promoting a seemingly unbreakable blender. “This is a great chance to have some fun, educate consumers and maybe even win some money. Get your creative juices flowing, folks. Our day has come.”
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