Catch the Gingerbread Man at Meijer

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 consumer contests that require little baking, but much creativity.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer’s online program, “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.

Running through Dec. 23, the online contests will include thousands of dollars in gift card prizes to nearly two dozen winners. 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, Meijer’s chief marketing officer. “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.”

Gingerbread Bites Back encompasses these contests:

- 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 pieces of a gingerbread man so they can build their own creation.
- 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.

A pioneer of the superstore concept, Meijer operates 197 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.