Find the DGDC's elf, take a selfie and win
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on November 29, 2014 11:05 PM
He might be found sewing in Thistle Bee Quilt Shoppe.
He might be pouring tea at JoJo's Tea and Coffee Shop.
Either way, you have to find him -- and then, you have to take a selfie.
Jolly McJingle, a four foot tall doll version of the classic Christmas "Elf on the Shelf," will be hiding in various downtown businesses from Dec. 1 through Dec. 23.
There's only one catch -- members of the public will have no idea where the elf is hiding in downtown businesses.
And that, members of the Downtown Goldsboro Development say, is where the fun begins.
Once you find the elf, take a "selfie with the elfie," and post it to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #selfiewiththeelfie and #jollymcjingle.
The first person to find the elf and post a selfie with it on social media gets to head to the DGDC and draw an envelope from a jar, which will contain anywhere from five to 50 "downtown dollars." Downtown dollars can be used at any participating downtown business.
"This is a fun, festive way to attract business to downtown businesses," said DGDC promotions coordinator Erin Acree. "I enjoy shopping downtown because it doesn't feel like a mall, and there's a lot here and some businesses people might not know about. I want people to have that same enjoyable experience."
Once the elf is found and posted to social media, it will move locations -- much like how the original Elf on the Shelf moves about homes at night.
This idea to promote businesses during the holiday season was hatched by Wayne Turner and Ruth Glisson, owner of The Flying Shamrock and Uniquely R's, respectively.
The duo, part of the Downtown Merchant's Association, presented the idea to the DGDC, which latched onto it immediately.
Previously, Ms. Acree said, businesses decorated their facades in a competition for a cash prize, which ultimately only benefited one business downtown.
But taking selfies with Jolly McJingles is a way to benefit all businesses downtown, she said.