SMITH'S FOOD & DRUG RUNS EASTER COLORING CONTEST

DAN ALAIMO

SALT LAKE CITY -- Smith's Food & Drug held an Easter bunny coloring contest last month that tied in Binney & Smith, Allentown, Pa., Ambassador Cards, Kansas City, Mo., and Smith's video rental departments.

The promotion was held throughout the 131-store Smith's chain, said Marcey Keown, account executive at Interwest Brokerage, Salt Lake City, who represents Binney & Smith to Smith's Food & Drug and helped coordinate the program.

"It was a really good success. We always sell a lot of crayons when we do a promotion like this. It's a nice tie-in," she said.

Smith's declined to comment on the promotion.

The promotion was held in or near Smith's video departments because they were in an ideal position at the front of the store, and because the walls of the live inventory sections were perfect for hanging the entries, she said. "Video is a high-traffic department," she said.

Prizes provided by Binney & Smith and given out by the stores included coloring kits, art kits and chalk. A grand prize of a trip to Disney World, Orlando, Fla., was awarded to winners in each of Smith's two operating regions, she said. "The kids love an opportunity to color, especially the younger kids, and hopefully they will use our products to do it. It's a natural fit," said Keown.

Easter promotions are good for Binney & Smith, she noted. "More parents are getting away from putting candy in baskets, and they will put in things like crayons and toothbrushes. It's always a nice time of year for us to get involved," she said.

Binney & Smith has also been involved in a substance abuse program Smith's has done in the past year. The retailer put out a booklet that educated parents about drug abuse symptoms and what to do about them, Keown said. Binney & Smith's slogan for its ad in the booklet was, "Color me drug free."