Plessers Sponsors a Unique Mascot Photo Contest

Retailers use sales, promotions and marketing campaigns such as discount pricing, freebies and even wine and cheese events to lure people into the store. The goal is more customers, more revenue and building the brand.

But that doesn't mean it can't be fun and creative. In fact one Babylon Village retailer is making it fun on the customer participation side. I mean who doesn't love to visit the Nippers and rub the head of the big and small fiberglass mascots that stand guard outside of Plessers Appliances on Main Street.

And to top it off, a picture with Nipper could win the photographer a pretty nice 50" flat screen HDTV.

All you need to do is shoot a creative picture of yourself, a friend or a loved one with Nipper and email it to jcappetta@plessers.com. Plessers will then post the photo on its website and Facebook contest pages and whichever photo has the most 'likes' by year's end wins the prize.

"We're always trying to promote in different ways. Our website is national so the pictures will be seen by the whole country," said Plessers Vice President Alan Howard who offered up a winning trick idea:  get the picture up early and then get everyone and anyone to like it.

A few people have already entered the contest.

Now if you haven't seen Nipper in awhile you might notice he's looking pretty dandy after some need plastic (well fiberglass in this case) surgery back in September 2011. A friend of Howard's, Bob Pitagno, did the repair honors.

Nipper is actually the mascot from the RCA Victrolla company and made his debut in front of Plessers in the early fifties as part of an RCA sales promotion and has been there in one shape or form ever since. The larger than life version, the 6-foot Nipper, was discovered on eBay by Howard in 2009. For the full historical account of Nipper click here.