Gingerbread Bites Back! Meijer Offers a Full Plate of Gingerbread-Themed Contests for the Creative, Artistic or Humorous at Heart

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The elusive gingerbread man has been caught by Meijer, and he's been placed online this holiday season to serve as the star of three delightfully engaging consumer contests that require little baking, but much creativity.

The Michigan-based retailer's online program, entitled "Gingerbread Bites Back," invites shoppers to submit their funniest or most off-the-wall submissions for a photo contest of the most original gingerbread creation (person or house); a video project capturing an interesting take on people baking or eating gingerbread; or a contest inviting people to place downloadable gingerbread imagery in humorous or unique settings or situations.

The online contests live at www.facebook.com/meijer, and will include thousands of dollars in gift card prizes to nearly two dozen winners. The contests will conclude Dec. 23. Gingerbread fans are asked to submit entries for any of the individual contests to the Meijer Facebook page by Dec. 18.

"The gingerbread man is an iconic feature of the holidays, and the perfect symbol to generate excitement for a program that entails, fun, creativity and the joy of giving," said Kevin Brown, chief marketing officer for Meijer. "As Meijer approaches one-half million Facebook 'likes,' this contest provides a great opportunity for our customers to demonstrate their creativity through the digital and social channels they continue to embrace."

Here are the three different contests comprising the Meijer "Gingerbread Bites Back" contest:

• GingerSnaps: Fans upload a photo of their most original gingerbread people or houses.
• GingerMash: Fans are encouraged to create their own Gingerbread characters, as they will be provided with electronic "bits-and-pieces" of a gingerbread man so they can build their own creation. Fans can put a gingerbread man in an unusual spot or predicament, or create a zany new breed of ginger person. Others will be able to vote on the best submissions uploaded to the Meijer Facebook gingerbread tab.
• GingerKids: Fans upload their funniest videos of their kids decorating or eating gingerbread men or women, or building and decorating their gingerbread houses. 

For each of the three contests, Meijer will award a $500 gift card to the first-place winner, a $250 gift card to the second-place winner, and $100 gift cards to the five honorable mention recipients.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 197 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. As the inventor of the "one-stop shopping" concept, Meijer stores have evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive electronics departments, garden centers and apparel offerings.

For more information on Meijer and the ability to shop for more, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/meijer or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.

SOURCE Meijer