Darling’s Ford Volkswagen Audi Launches Great Pumpkin Contest

BANGOR, Maine – A generous customer has helped Darling’s Ford Volkswagen Audi create a contest and grow its social-media presence.

The local farmer, who bought a 2015 F-150, brought over three small pumpkins and a giant one, to help the dealership decorate the hay bales near a Ford tractor in its showroom.

After seeing the enormous pumpkin, Sales Manager Gary Greene thought it might make a good Facebook contest to have users guess the weight of the pumpkin either by commenting on the page or visiting the showroom.

The closest guess to the actual weight without going over wins a $100 gift certificate to a local orchard or farm stand.

The contest runs through October 9.

“The idea was to get some traffic to Facebook,” Greene told Edmunds. “That has worked because we only had one person stop in the showroom to guess and we’re not advertising it in the showroom.”

The contest also shows the dealership’s support of the local community because the prize benefits a local grower.

“A lot of our marketing ideas revolve around community involvement,” Greene said. “We love doing things for others.”

Greene has no idea how much the pumpkin weighs.

“The farmer said it was about 200 pounds but I could pick it up, so I don’t think it’s that much,” he said. “We decided not to weigh it until the contest ends, so everyone has a fair shot at it.”

Edmunds says: Charlie Brown isn’t the only one with a great pumpkin.