Sure, Verizon may be offering petty deals to those purchasing one of Apple’s latest iPhone 8 flagships, but to make right, Big Red apparently wants to give away 256 iPhone 8 devices for free instead.
The company announced its new “Find the 8” promotion yesterday, which is styled in the form of an exclusive augmented reality (AR)-based contest on Snapchat, and is going on now through the handset’s official launch on Friday, September 22.
Of course, as with any contest there are caveats and limitations to be aware of — and so we’ve gone ahead and consolidated all the rules and everything you need to know if you want try scoring a VZW-powered iPhone 8 of your very own.
How to Play
The theme of the contest is “8” (you know, as in iPhone 8), and Verizon is giving eight lucky people in each of the following eight cities — Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, and Atlanta — an opportunity to win one of 256 iPhone 8 devices every day between now and Friday.
- Players will start off by scanning a Snapcode on Verizon’s website, which will direct them to a link containing instructions, and ultimately, their first clue, before they venture out in search.
- By using your smartphone’s location information, Snapchat will them determine where you are in relation to the prize and give you clues on how to get there.
- Players will be given clues specific to their city, and by following them correctly, they’ll ultimately lead to the final clue — after which they’ll be able to unlock an AR-based iPhone 8 lens.
To win, players need only take a selfie with this virtual lens and then send it to Verizon, at which point the company will pick and announce its winners based on the following criteria: “The more creative you get, the better your chances.”
Warnings and Caveats
The whole thing is clearly a massive, calculated advertising push for the telecom-giant; and as such, those who actually win an iPhone 8 through the contest can expect that they’ll have to activate it on Verizon’s network. Another caveat is that the contest is only going on between now and Friday, so if you happen to live in one of the aforementioned cities and want to try your luck at scoring a brand-new iPhone 8, you’d better get out there now and start Snapping.