WWTT? Jimmy John’s Wants to Buy You a House

Yes, you read that right. Illinois-based sandwich chain restaurant Jimmy John’s recently launched a campaign that will have possibly anyone who can’t afford a home in 70% of the U.S. clamoring to participate in. The Dream Home in the Zone campaign’s focus is to put a lucky winner into one of their delivery zones, which are determined to be anywhere within a 5-minute radius of one of Jimmy John’s 2,800 locations.

The basics of the campaign is that if you live outside of a Jimmy John’s delivery zone, you are eligible to enter the contest for up to $250,000 to purchase a home within one of the zones. To do so, you have to provide the usual information of name, address, email address, etc., as well as a mini essay of 250 words explaining why you want to relocate into a Jimmy John’s delivery zone.

According to the official rules, the contest runs from Aug. 12 to Oct. 4, and 500 entries will be selected RANDOMLY. Those 500 entries will then go on to the submission review, evaluation and judging process. Ten finalists will be notified, and then follows the finalists interviews, and from that the final decision will be made, and by the end of the year that lucky winner should be celebrating the winter holidays in their new home … maybe with some celebratory Jimmy John’s sandwiches?

Jimmy John’s worked with its agency of record WorkInProgress on this campaign, and hail it as further support of their mission to only deliver the freshest of sandwiches to customers (something they covered in a previous campaign earlier this year). Hence the delivery zones.

I wonder how many people will apply because they simply want to be home owners, Jimmy John’s delivery zone status or not. Especially amid a housing crisis, winning a contest like this could be make-or-break for a person, couple, or family.

I have a feeling this campaign will carry plenty of buzz around it, and if exposure is enough for Jimmy John’s, then they should get it in spades. But will that turn into ROI? We shall have to see. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!