By Rebecca Borison October 18, 2013
Project Runway promotes mobile banking
Lifetime's Project Runway?has kicked off a?mobile social sweepstakes to end a season that for the first time integrated mobile banking into the show's challenges.
The ?Runway Rundown? sweepstakes will run until Oct. 24, when a winner will be selected randomly for a trip to New York to shop with the season?s winning designer. The sweepstakes concludes the show's season-long partnership with Green Dot Corp.?s mobile-banking application GoBank.
?GoBank has been part of a new spin for this year's contestants and viewers with a mandate to control their spending throughout the show, a first in all 12 seasons,? said Sharon Pope, chief marketing officer of Green Dot Corp., Monrovia, CA.
?With all the thought that went into shopping for fabric this season, we thought a great way to celebrate the finale is by letting a fan get in on the New York shopping fun,? she said. ?And what better shopping companion than this season's winner?
?Our ?Runway Rundown? sweepstakes will hopefully grab the attention of the very active social media-engaged Project Runway fans.?
Shopping spree
The Project Runway Facebook sweepstakes launched last night as the season finale aired. The sweepstakes is accessible via a mobile-optimized microsite.
To enter the sweepstakes, consumers must first share their thoughts on the finale and the winning designs, and then they must "Like" the GoBank Facebook page. Finally they need to enter their personal information.
The GoBank app
Consumers can also share the sweepstakes on social media.
The winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to New York and $500 to spend on a shopping spree with the season?s winning designer.
The sweepstakes follows a season-long partnership with mobile-banking app GoBank. GoBank is available on Android and iPhone devices ans offers a mobile-first way to bank.
Consumers can sign up for the bank directly from their phone with a ?pay what you want? model, where members can choose to pay anywhere from $0 to $9 for their monthly membership fee. It also lets consumers peek at their balance without logging in.
Additionally, consumers can use the Fortune Teller feature that gives advice on how to spend money based on a consumer?s budget. Consumers can also send money via email or SMS.
The Fortune Teller feature
Mobile designers
Throughout the 12th season of Project Runway, the contestants managed their finances with the GoBank app.
In previous seasons, designers would be handed cash to spend on fabric before every challenge. This season gave the designers $4,000 in a GoBank account, and the designers had to budget the money for the whole season.
This added a new twist to the show by making the designers budget for themselves.
Designers were able to use the Fortune Teller feature for help, as well as the Money Vault feature to set money aside.
Additionally, the winning designer will receive $150,000 from GoBank towards a fashion line.
?Earlier this year we released a State of the Bank study, which found that Americans see banking as one of the least innovative industries,? Ms. Pope said.
?Our team at GoBank is dedicated to changing that sentiment,? she said. ?We're obsessed with innovating banking beyond consumers' expectations.
?Pairing GoBank, a forward-thinking brand, with Project Runway, a show that rewards constant creative innovation, was the perfect combination to drive home the position of GoBank as a mobile banking pioneer.?
Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York
