M&M's offers one colorful fan chance at $10,000

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- Mars Chocolate North America fired up the engines earlier this year for its third annual M&M's Most Colorful Fans of NASCAR contest. Building on Mars' status as the official chocolate of NASCAR, the contest follows the release of M&M's new NASCAR.COM social community, which launched in February at www.NASCAR.com/mostcolorfulfans.

The program, which runs through Sept. 6, encourages fans to enter M&M's Most Colorful Fans of NASCAR contest and showcase their unmatched love for the sport and their favorite teams and drivers by submitting their most colorful racing-themed photos to www.NASCAR.com/mostcolorfulfans. All entries receive 15 percent off a one-time purchase at the NASCAR.COM Superstore, including free shipping. Fans will then cast their vote to help choose weekly winners, as well as three finalists who will vie for the title of the Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR.

Here's your opportunity to be recognized as the most colorful, passionate NASCAR fan! Simply upload a photo that shows off your NASCAR fandom for a chance to win a $10,000 prepaid cash card and a trip to Charlotte to be featured in the NASCAR Hall of Fame® for one year! Submit your photo today and tell your friends!

• Enter Contest & Instant Win

"M&M's Most Colorful Fans of NASCAR contest is unique because it's 100 percent 'fan generated,'" said Suzanne Beaudoin, vice president, sponsorships and sports marketing, Mars Chocolate North America. "Everything from the weekly winners to the lucky fan who gets to be featured in the new NASCAR Hall of Fame is decided by the boss of NASCAR -- the fans!"

Each week of the contest, the votes submitted on NASCAR.COM will be tabulated and the photo with the highest average rating and the minimum number of votes will be selected as that week's winner and receive a $500 gift card. Fans also can participate in the instant-win game with 100 $50 gift-card instant-win prizes available.

As the elite of NASCAR drivers head into the Chase, the 14 weekly winners will compete head-to-head during the final round. At the end of the final round, three finalists with the most fan votes will vie for the grand prize: a trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, $10,000, and a featured display in the NASCAR Hall of Fame for one year. The 2009 contest winner, Cynthia Peace of Havana, Ill., bested thousands of other colorful NASCAR fans who participated in the contest and became the first fan honored in the NASCAR Hall of Fame earlier in May.

"NASCAR.COM has the ability to create, manage, and host NASCAR initiatives that provide fan-friendly experiences while also delivering on client objectives," said Walker Jacobs, senior vice president, Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital ad sales. "We're pleased to extend our great partnership with M&M's on this fan-favorite contest and it's a golden example of how a multi-year program can thrive and evolve naturally."

Fans also can follow alongside Right Turn Ryan, with at-track, behind-the-scene photos and videos starring fans at M&M's Most Colorful Fans Facebook page -- www.facebook.com/colorfulfans -- and via Twitter -- @mmscolorfulfans. And new for 2010, the M&M's Most Colorful Fans of NASCAR contest also is available via NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile SM, the exclusive NASCAR-mobile application, where fans can submit their own photos and vote on their favorites.

"The fans are a crucial component to what makes NASCAR successful," said Jim O'Connell, vice president of corporate marketing for NASCAR. "M&M's Most Colorful Fans of NASCAR contest is a one-of-a-kind promotion which celebrates the creativity of our fans, and rewards them in a fun and memorable way."

While M&M's is all about "colorful fun" both on and off the track, the M&M's Most Colorful Fans of NASCAR platform has created buzz within the NASCAR and marketing communities. Since 2008, the contest has experienced exponential growth in engagement (votes), submissions and media impressions, with a 1,400 percent increase in engagement (votes) from 360,000 in '08 to seven million in '09, a 250 percent increase in photo submissions from 2,000 in '08 to 5,700 in '09, and more than a 2,000 percent increase in impressions from 60,000 in '08 to 1.7 million in '09. In addition, activation around the contest was recognized as a 2010 SABRE Award Gold Finalist and was featured as a best-in-class case study at the 2009 Sports Business Journal Motorsports Marketing Forum.

For more information about M&M's Most Colorful Fans of NASCAR Contest, visit www.NASCAR.com/mostcolorfulfans.