Sept. 18, 2020
By Rich Lehrfeld, SVP of Retail and Digital Marketing, Walmart U.S.
It’s no secret that 2020 has been, well, different. Over the last six months, we’ve had to adapt to a new normal. We’ve had to change how we shop, how we socialize and how we celebrate some of life’s biggest moments.
Since this year has been about finding happy compromises for our best laid plans, Walmart+ is going to “plus up” some of our customers’ most-missed moments, making them bigger and better than before. Did someone miss out on celebrating a monumental birthday? We’ll plus it up! Did someone have to cancel a special summer vacation? We’ll definitely plus that up. What about attending a favorite football team’s home opener? You guessed it, we’re plussing that up, too.
The first Walmart Plus Up experience happens this Sunday amid a fan-less football home opener. Eliot Fagley, MD, an anesthesiologist who leads the Critical Care Unit’s COVID-19 response at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, and his family will receive the ultimate game day experience — the opportunity to be the only family in attendance during the Seahawks’ home opener and lead one of the team’s most sacred traditions, the raising of the 12 Flag. A special moment for a family kept apart due to the pandemic.
Over the next four months, we’ll bring back cancelled events in the most plussed up fashion. Here’s what we have in store, and who knows? Some of our favorite celebrities may even stop by!
A Halloween Treat: How are you supposed to get Halloween treats when the year has offered nothing but tricks? For one family of Halloween fanatics, we’ll be creating an immersive “Trunk or Treat” event that gives them and a few of their favorite families a contact-free trick-or-treating experience.
Home Learning Center: We’ll help one family adjust to virtual learning by creating the ultimate home classroom setup for young minds.
Wedding Redo: There’s no question that weddings have been postponed this year, but for one special couple, we’ll give them the ultimate wedding redo.
Virtual Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is about bringing family and food together. But just because 2020 will keep some families apart this year, it doesn’t mean they still can’t come together with the help of Walmart+. We’ll give one special family and their loved ones a virtual Thanksgiving with all the special trimmings they can handle.
Theatre 2.0*: For our movie buffs, having to avoid the theatre certainly hasn’t been fun. We’ll bring the theatre to a silver screen loving family with an epic at-home movie experience.
Milestone Birthday*: Celebrating a birthday is a big deal, especially when it’s a huge milestone! We’re creating the ultimate socially distanced celebration for someone who’s had to cancel their big day.
Quinceañera Queen*: You only turn 15 once. And if you were planning a quinceañera, you may have thought 2020 would make those plans forgettable. Think again. We’ll be surprising one lucky lady by making her quinceañera the most unforgettable.
The Ultimate Staycation*: Was your summer vacation COVID-cancelled? We’re bringing back those travel plans for a deserving customer who will win the ultimate at-home vacation experience designed around the location they planned to visit.
Over-the-Top Tailgate*: One lucky family will receive a home-gate experience inspired by their favorite teams, just in time for the Super Bowl. The winner will receive an over-the-top home-gating experience to make it their best Super Bowl yet.
We want to give our customers the opportunity to have some* of these experiences, so, we’ll be turning to social media to select some of the participants. Here’s how to be considered:
- Post a picture or video to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or YouTube using the #WalmartPlusUp and #contest hashtags and tag @walmart.
- Share your story and why you want Walmart+ to bring back a canceled event, bigger and better than originally planned.
- Entries will be accepted starting today, September 18, 2020, and will close October 9, 2020.
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of 50 U.S./D.C., age 18+ (19+ in AL and NE, 21+ in MS). Void outside the 50 U.S. /DC and where prohibited. Sweepstakes starts 9/18/20 at 12:00:01 AM ET; ends 10/9/20 at 11:59:00 PM ET. To enter, submit a video or photo and caption nomination with the hashtags #WalmartPlusUp #contest and @walmart to one of Walmart’s social platforms pursuant to the guidelines in the Official Rules. Account must be set to the “public.” Five Prizes worth ~$10,000.00 each. Limit 1 entry per person. For full rules/eligibility, visit www.walmartplusup.com. Sponsor: Walmart Inc., 702 S.W. 8th Street, Bentonville, AR 72716.
*Experiences that are eligible for contest submission
