• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, July 8, 2013

In a tongue-in-cheek twist on brands' ubiquitous giveaway promotions, Snapple has launched a "Win Nothing Instantly" promotion -- complete with a press release announcing: "Brand Researches, Plans, Ultimately Comes Up With Nothing."

Actually, the contest does offer prizes -- through specially marked 16-ounce Snapple bottles bearing winning messages under their caps -- but the prizes are all positioned with a "nothing" or "no" theme. 

Grand prize winners (1,107) get a "No Bills" prize (a $500 gift card). First-prize winners (2,214) get a "No Airfare" prize (a $400 gift card). Second-prize winners (3,320) get a "No Thirst" prize (coupons good for 48 Snapple six-packs). Third-prize winners (4,427) get a "No Grocery Bill" prize (a $100 gift card). Fourth-prize winners (5,534) get a "No Paying at the Pump" prize (a $50 gift card). And fifth-prize winners (55,339) get a "Better Than Nothing Free Snapple" prize (a coupon good for one Snapple six-pack).

The promotion started July 1, and ends Sept. 30. Consumers who find a "winner" message under their Snapple bottle caps need to register their winning caps on the promotion's site by Nov. 30 (and ultimately send the cap to Snapple, after they are been supplied with a postage-paid envelope for that purpose by the brand). 

The promotion's site features a 30-second video showing diverse people (like a college student in a class and an Eskimo in an igloo) opening their Snapple bottles and exclaiming: "I've won nothing!" 

But the capper (so to speak) is the faux-existentially toned release announcing the promotion, headlined: "Snapple Issues Press Release About Nothing."

The release begins: "Today, Snapple has Nothing to say. Why? Because Nothing is important. Nothing is universal. Nothing is great."

It continues: "Nothing is the answer when you ask your teenager what he did at school today. It’s what’s left over on your plate after your favorite birthday meal and what’s left to talk about after catching up with your best friend...Some TV shows last a decade talking about it. And now, Snapple wants America to celebrate it. 

“What’s more extraordinary than Snapple? Nothing comes to mind,” said Dave Fleming, director of marketing for Snapple. “Over the years, we’ve heard from thousands of Snapple fans about what makes them stand out from the crowd. This summer, we want our fans to celebrate what brings us all together -- Nothing. 

"Many great minds, including the one writing this press release, have attempted to make sense of Nothing. We’ve searched for its meaning, fantasized about it, and analyzed it to its core. Is there something behind Nothing? And if there is, would Nothing still exist?"

The release goes on to explain how Snapple fans can learn if they've "won nothing"...and concludes with another quote from Fleming: "I have Nothing to add."