The spookiest night of the year is just a few weeks away, which means it's officially crunch time if you've been sleeping on putting together your Halloween transformation for this year. Rather than going as a Mean Girls-esque mouse again (because you can only say "Duh" so many times), or attempting to give last year's party animal ensemble a comeback, Dunkin' Donuts is making it pay to be a little more creative with your costume this year — literally. Dunkin's Halloween costume contest could win you $1,000 and free coffee for an entire year, so BRB while I attempt to transform into a Munchkin donut hole IRL.
According to a Dunkin' press release shared on Wednesday, Oct. 17, the purveyors of all things donuts are inviting fans to dress themselves up with a spooky n' sweet costume once again. If you've participated in the past, you know the drill: Dress up in a Halloween costume inspired by the chain's "donuts, coffee, lattes and more," then share a photo of your creative get-up on Instagram with the hashtag #DunkinDressUpContest from now until Nov. 1.
Once you post, you'll automatically be entered in the running for a grand prize of $1,000 and a year's worth of Dunkin' coffee, and the icing on the donut? You don't have to knock on a single door or ring any doorbells. TBH, I'm all about free DD coffee and padding my bank account with some extra money just before the holidays, but having to go trick or treating while dressed as a giant cup of cold brew? Well, that's another story.
In addition to the grand prizes, you can also enter to win a weekly $100 Dunkin' gift card while the contest runs from Oct. 17 through Nov. 1. Yes, it's not exactly a year's supply of free coffee, but $100 will go a long way towards your mid-day DD coffee runs. According to the rules, Dunkin' will direct message you on Instagram if you're the winner, and you'll have 48 hours to reply back with your full name, your mailing address, your Instagram handle, and your date of birth.
Beyond that, Dunkin' doesn't really share any guidelines about what they're looking for in the winning look, although submissions will be judged based on their originality (50 percent) as well as "marketability of costume design and "relativity to the Dunkin’ Donuts brand" (both 25 percent). I took a look at the fine print, which says that contestants must be 18 and over and that submissions must not be inappropriate or contain any brand logos or names other than that of Dunkin', but that's pretty much it. If you're feeling stumped with where to begin, the company does include last year's winner, @lauren.citt, and a few ideas from blogger Aww Sam for inspiration. I mean, who knew a Dunkin' Coffee costume could look so good?
Just one word of caution before letting your imagination run wild: DD recently changed its name to just "Dunkin'" (yes, I'm still in denial), so you might want to keep that in mind as you cover your costume with the iconic pink and orange colors that you've come to love.
