Thanks but...and we'd love to but

I'd like to take a short amount of time to mention those companies that kindly replied to my silly email. In most cases it was to explain that they already partner with community teams / charities in their chosen geographical or product area.

So to Crayola, Clarks, Five TV, Clinique, Timberland, Reckitt and Benckiser, Carbtree & Evelyn, Nectar, Maltesers, Imperial Leather, Lucozade, Molton Brown, Cadburys, Heinz, Ted Baker, Waitrose, Sainsburys, Adidas, Thorntons, Guinness, Nike, Dyson, BMW, Duracell, Virgin Mobile, Apple, BBC and British Airways...

Thanks and I hope that you and your beneficiaries have a great Christmas!

To all the others, I look forward to hearing from you.

A years free Krispy Kreme doughnuts - oops there goes the surprise!!

It has arrived!!

Now I know I said that I wouldn't open any of the presents thus making the surprise bigger and better for all of us but this could not be helped.

A couple of days ago I received an email from the lovely Nicola telling me that she was prepared to supply a Krispy Kreme Gold Card for the giftee...a quick google confirmed such thing existed and the excitement started to build.

I was at a work function last night so was a little later (and fuzzier of head) than normal this morning and went straight into a meeting, on my way back to my desk I checked my postbox. I must admit that I was told to expect delivery early next week but couldn't help a little peek...felt a little like Charlie Bucket. And there it was, the little envelope.

So, my giftee...along with all of the other cool stuff so far...you now have a whole year of free doughnuts!! From Krispy Kreme!!!...yes I did need that many exclamation marks.

If you don't know who these doughnut makers extraordinaire are then check out their website - www.krispykreme.co.uk - or facebook page - krispy kreme fb - they've got some fun hallowe'en specials at the mo.

Thanks Nicola and Mr / Mrs Krispy for hopefully changing the dimension of this game!!

BTW - If you think you or your company can outgift this then please get in contact, but a years free doughnuts (and not those dried out supermarket specials either!!) is going to take some beating!!

Say it very quietly...something big this way comes...

...and it's doughnut shaped...I will divulge more when it arrives...but everyone will need to up their game to beat this one...

KRISPY

...whisper it...

KREME

How will the mid table Superbrands do?

After the success of the Superbrands 450+ (9 promises and still counting) and a drawer that is quickly filling up I thought I'd see if this was a mere fluke by contacting the mid table companies.

Using highly precise statistical modelling I would expect to get about 4 or 5...I mean exactly 4.36 gifts from this burst. Let's see if my maths degree stands up here.

Go on, send something and ruin my formulae.

Oh, and I still haven't had ANY replies from those muso types! And I still love that pasty email / box. AAaaaarrrggghhh.

WOW! What a way to start the week.

It was a long wait over the weekend to see what bounty had arrived since I last checked. All kinds of shapes and sizes awaited me in my inbox...squishy, square, tubes and something that may win most subtle packaging!!

Firstly a nod to the 2 pack

ages with no outward sign

of sender...if you recognise the photos then please

drop me a note and I will give you a shout now, otherwise unknown brand 1 and 2 will be revealed post opening (in mid Nov - I know it is early but that's when we have our party.)...I think Boots may be the biggie so thanks if so...very excited!

You might think that 2 parcels is a pretty good Monday morning welcome but I had a further 6 bundles of joy...as you can see, these are mostly flat offerings so they could be leaflets / promotional pamphlets...but they could also be £400 in cash??

Special mention again to Mr & Mrs Smith who have sent something specifically for you giftee, and Ocean Spray who have sent a pretty heavy box of stuff and asked me to mention that they are celebrating the launch of a new range of Blueberry juice drinks...wonder if that mixes as well with vodka as Cranberry juice does?...also came a little clue as to the gift...

This new flavour highlights an exciting new dimension (there’s a clue there!) for the brand, which is perhaps best known for its range of deliciously health cranberry products.

http://www.oceanspray.co.uk/products/blueberry

Thanks as well to Berghaus, The Independent, Scholl and Weetabix!!

Last but by no means least, in fact the BEST packaging AND the best email chain (including multiple AAaarrrRRRGGGHHss is the one and only West Cornwall Pasty people...I never doubted you, thanks for representing the South West!!!

And there is still more to come...this is turning out to be one of the best ideas I have had in a lony while...definitely since I decided to sauté mushrooms in raspberry wine vinegar.

Same same but different...

...just a quick post here, have had 3 parcels but frustratingly am out and about again so won't be able to pick them up til Monday...pics to follow.

This is more to talk about the let down emails, most are fairly standard with wording stating that said company does a lot of work with their preferred charity so cannot help me in my quest (very understandable and appreciated.)

However there have been a couple of stand out replies that coincidentally I received this morning. The first made me feel a little silly for even thinking about mailing this Dutch brewer...perhaps this is the reason that their French child brand is more respected than they are? Their reply gave a distinct impression that mine was a quite dull not at all worthwhile use of time and I should go back to collecting stamps!!

"I am sure you will not be surprised to learn that Heineken UK is frequently called upon to support a wide range of interesting and worthwhile activities."

Straight after that was the phone number of their merchandising company who run a credit card hotline in case I want to buy a beer mat...perhaps not.

The second note was a joy of language...I did have to look up invidious in the dictionary just to make sure they were not making fun of me...I don't think I need to tell you that this was from one of the high end high street grocers...congrats Waitrose, you win my best refusal (so far!)

"As I am sure you will appreciate, we receive a large number of requests of this nature, and it would be invidious for us to choose which we would accede to. In the circumstances we are unfortunately not in a position to provide you with your request.

I am very sorry to disappoint you."

Have a great weekend.

The Quickening and Super Swimmers

What a lot to tell you, the offers have come rolling in now and the second arrival in the post.

Thanks to Speedo who gave a small hint in that they have sent something signed by their star athlete. By the size of the parcel I reckon it might be a pair of their swimming trunks?

It seems like the Superbrand 450+ companies are really embracing this challenge now and are streaking ahead in the promising of goodies stakes. I am not counting any unhatched chickens but was blown away by the response with positive notes back from Berghaus, Hovis, Scholl, Specsavers, Ocean Spray, The Independent and West Cornwall Pasty Company...more about each of them in detail when the parcels arrive.

My favourite brands are also keeping pace, very excited about a lovely note from Mr & Mrs Smith (who were the first folks to ask about the giftee...expect a nice surprise in that one!!), Pixar written by Buzz Lightyear no less and a certain not yet to be named Premier League footballer who scored a very important goal at the weekend...OK, it's Tim Cahill!!

And so we come to my so far most misguided selection, I really thought that radio / music / promo people would have mountains of things floating around the office that they would happily part with for a bit of a plug...but no....silence. Perhaps they were all at the same BFI awards party and haven't checked their emails for a couple of days...?

Much action

It has all started happening now, in the past couple of days I have had another 2 promises from Speedo and Weetabix - both from my faves list...and loved since childhood...no new arrivals to show you but have been out and about so hopefully a pile waiting for me to pick up when I get back to base next.

I have also kicked on with 2 more lists; I'm hoping that the music and PR folk will have goodies lying around from the various bands / events / nights out and that the companies in the Superbrands list from 451 - 500 get invloved in the excitement and show those in the Top 50 what they are made of.

No news...good or bad?

It's been a quiet weekend, not much apart from a small nibble from Twinings...apparently you can get free tea from their website (so you can too - a little gift from me to you - http://www.twinings.co.uk/free-tea) so 2 tea bags added to the pile...wooHoo!

Instead of going for the celebrity / lower end superbrands tonight I thought I would take my super brands, I listed out 50 of my favourite things and their makers...you don't realise how many "objects" you have in your life until you stand back for a minute and count them.

...so if you got an email this evening...I am loving your work!

P.S. I also found out this evening that the Neet Weet gang were called Bixie, Dunk, Brains, Brian and Crunch.

Double Happy

My first package has arrived from Lego, I have included a pic with pen as scale. I haven't opened it yet...I think that it might be some fun not to...even I won't know how cool the things I get are...everything is going to stay wrapped!

Secondly had a yes from the guys at Boots...who are sending me something that is included in their Christmas 3 for 2 offer although more on that when it arrives!!

A number of sorry and thank you's but a special mention to Jonathan at Proctor & Gamble (they make Duracell and Fairy) who told me that they had nothing suitable to send...and after my reply that they also had nothing unsuitable.

You can see on the right hand side a little counter, I'm going to track the most generous groups (will try and keep them roughly the same size.)

Next up, either the lower end of the Superbrands to see if they can out-generous their counterparts higher in the list...or...Celeb / Personality types as I quite like the idea of getting numerous signed things.

...also waiting to hear from one special contact...you know who you are.

Pushing on...

After the flush of my first success yesterday I received my first knock back today - a very polite note from Mrs. BA saying that they receive many such requests and cannot possibly start just giving away free first class flights to the bahamas...I guess that is fair - hope rolex are a little more flexible??

Also of note, not quite a knock-back, was a kind reply from Isaac @ Mercedes customer services in the Netherlands - suggesting I contact my local dealership...awaiting reply there.

Given that I so far have a winning percentage of only 10% it is time to put some hard graft in...contacting the rest of the Superbrands Top 50 tonight. Any ideas about how / who to contact next would be welcomed.

P.S. Also will be emailing my employers and their hottest rival...fingers crossed for that one!!

Winning mentality

I must admit that when I logged off last night I wasn't feeling overly confident about this endeavour. I'd only managed to send out 10 emails but this morning I had the most pleasant of surprises, a reply...and not only that but an acceptance!

Thanks to the folks at Lego for starting the snowball rolling, you've steeled me to push on and make sure this is a success.

As soon as I receive the package I will pop up a photo...exciting!!!

Superbrands

So start at the top and aim high...all 10 of this year's Superbrands contacted...fingers crossed.

http://www.superbrands.uk.com/consumerresults

...interestingly Encyclopedia Britannica @ number 10!

This is how it works...

With Secret Santa there are more regional variations than the game of pool, some games you buy for a pot instead of an individual and others you get to roll dice to see who walks away with what. This one is nice and simple, about a week ago I received a piece of paper in the post asking me nicely to buy a gift that would be opened at our family Christmas party.

So I got thinking and being someone who doesn't always like to follow the most obvious path, I tried to work out how I could give my giftee (I know it's a bit of a naff word but best I can come up with currently) the most amazing present whilst still working within the rules...yes I like to be a rebel but was always a bit of a swot at school and can't shake that now.

I don't know where exactly the idea eventually came from but I figured that if I spent the £10 on a standard present (in this case I chose chocolate and wine as it is universally consumed around this time of year!!) I then would ask some people to help me top this up with free things. Simple.

So the hard work begins...I now need to find a place to start and then get the email warmed up!