Ordinarily, contests like the one that’s being run by Bosch Auto Parts and the Discovery Channel would be a little outside Gaywheels’ scope. After all, what does a sweepstakes offering a shot at a “five-night VIP Storm Chasing trip” for two with Reed Timmer have to do with cars or LGBT shoppers? At first glance, the answer might seem to be “not much”, but we’ll try to make the case:
1. For starters, the promo is designed to promote Bosch’s new ICON wiper blades, and every car owner needs wiper blades, right?
2. The grand prize of a storm-chasing trip sounds like a pretty nifty vacation. Heck, no matter how you feel about meteorology, it would give you a chance to spend the better pretending you’re Jamie Gertz in Twister. Who wouldn’t be into that?
3. Let’s not forget: Reed’s pretty cute.
So, how does this work? Well, there are two ways to win.
First, Bosch has given Gaywheels a special prize-pack that we’re giving away to one lucky reader. (Sorry, it’s for U.S. residents only.) The pack includes:
• A set of Bosch ICON wiper blades ($50 value)
• Storm Chasers: Season 4 DVD ($55 value)
• A signed copy of Reed Timmer’s book Into The Storm ($20 value)
• A Bosch C3 6V/12V Fully Automatic Four-Mode Battery Charger ($70 value)
To win that pack, just “like” or post a comment on this story on Gaywheels’ Facebook page before midnight on January 6. (You can do so here, too, but the winner will be chosen from Facebook.) We’ll draw one lucky name at random and ship out the package right away — though we obviously won’t be able to send the blades until we know the make and model of the winner’s car.
And what about the storm-chasing trip (and all the other runner-up prizes, like iPads)? For that, you’ll need to visit the Bosch Facebook page and watch a short video about Reed and his work. Then, submit your own short essay on why you want to join Reed on one of his expeditions. You can enter once per day, until January 1, 2012.
After that, Bosch will post two more clips of Reed, and each will offer more chances to write in and win. The contest officially ends on February 12, 2012, with a winner to be announced around February 15. Complete contest rules are available on Bosch’s Facebook page.
So you’ve got two possible wins — a prize pack from us and a range of goodies from Bosch. Get crackin’!