Zulily adds mobile twist to 'white elephant' parties

Brief:

Zulily is urging consumers in select markets to tweet to its @zulily Twitter account with the hashtag #zulilygiftsweepstakes from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time on Dec. 5 and 6 for a chance to win a "LOL-worthy" gift fit for a white elephant party, according to an announcement. Zulily will respond to the tweets, which can include an optional elephant emoji, with an automated link to sign up for the contest. Randomly selected winners have the option to "steal" an unwrapped gift or take a chance on winning a mystery item from Zulily's top trending white elephant gifts.
Zulily's "White Elephant herd" will deliver the gift within two hours. The game is available in Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Zulily's hometown of Seattle.
The online retailer is also hosting events to give people a chance to win gifts while supplies last. The party locations will be in Bryant Park on Dec. 5 and Madison Square Park on Dec. 6 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time both days.

Insight:

Zulily is adding a mobile twist to "white elephant" parties, the seasonal gift-exchange gatherings where people bring gag gifts to swap. The campaign comes as Zulily parent Qurate, which also owns QVC and HSN, is reportedly increasing its focus on younger consumers. Thirty six million Americans are expected to attend gift swaps this holiday season and spend up to $22 million on the items, according to Zulily, which has created a campaign to illustrate the fun of these events and how consumers can shop on Zulily for their gift-giving needs.

White elephant parties have become a bigger part of pop culture since being featured in the hit TV show "The Office" in 2005. The game is also known as a "Yankee Swap" or "Dirty Santa." According to Zulily's survey of 1,044 U.S. adults ages 18 or older, 24% of Americans said their favorite part about a white elephant party is getting an unexpected gift. In addition, 35% of respondents said what they love most about attending a white elephant party is spending time with friends and family. The most popular white elephant gifts are garden figurines (chosen by 23% of survey respondents), a wine glass that holds a full bottle of wine (21%), triceratops taco holders (18%) and bubble wrap bodysuits (20%), according to Zulily.

Giveaways are a popular promotional tactic during the holiday shopping season, and Zulily's campaign could drive more traffic to its social media channels, such as its Twitter account that has 56,700 followers. Zulily has posted several tweets to tease its white elephant contest.