Bosch has a new giveaway that they just blasted out to newsletter subscribers.
Bosch is giving away (10) Blaze GLM165-27CGL connected green-beam 165′ laser distance measuring tools.
(This is one of the Bosch Blaze laser measurers that were affected by a stakeout accuracy issue last year. I would presume that issue has since been fixed.)
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Hey Stuart, win a BLAZE GLM165-27CGL on us! 🥳
Cool, I’ll take a look later. But then a reader comment came in, and prompted me to go back and open the email right away:
The Bosch email that I got asked me to find a “hidden link” in the email to enter the drawing of only “10 people”.
Sounds like a gimmick to make people waste their time clicking on every spot were the cursor shows a link.
That sounds odd. I took a closer look.
Unfortunately, I don’t even have any link to share with you guys, as this giveaway seems to only live in Bosch’s email newsletter.
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Find the hidden link in this email, and fill out the form after clicking. We will randomly select ten people, who will receive a BLAZE™ GLM165-27CGL Connected Green-Beam 165′ Laser Measure.
Okay, find the hidden link, fill out the form.
There are many links hidden in the newsletter, leading to different Bosch YouTube videos and product category pages.
Everywhere I click, a different marketing video or landing page, but no hidden giveaway form.
You know what? I’m going to find that hidden link and post it to save everyone the frustration.
I click “hidden link,” and where does that take me? Here:
I quickly sprinted through two of their linked-to YouTube videos. There’s nothing there – no clues in the descriptions or videos that I could find.
Clicking on “hidden link” or “Blade GLM165-27GCL,” takes me to a “page not found” message.
What about the product page? No, nothing there.
Ah, the terms and conditions!
How to Enter: follow the instructions below to submit an “Entry”:
1. During the Entry Period, click the link in the email you receive from Sponsor inviting you to participate in the Contest.
2. Follow the scavenger hunt instructions, which will take you to various Sponsor webpages.
3. When you reach the final webpage in the scavenger hunt, submit your first name, last name and email address.
Okay, so to find the hidden link, follow the instructions that lead to various Bosch webpages, and the final webpage has a giveaway entry form.
Which is the final webpage in the scavenger hunt?!
Just in case there was some kind of URL issue on my desktop computer, I checked my phone, but that didn’t lead me anywhere new.
I’m giving up. If anyone finds the link, please considering sharing it with everyone.
I must admit, this is an interesting strategy for getting newsletter subscribers to click around Bosch’s website and YouTube videos. I’ll check back tomorrow in case the “page not found” errors are fixed, although it’s a moot point given the very short contest entry period.
Contest runs from 9:00am CT on July 26, 2022 through 12:00am CT on July 27, 2022.
Bosch… you got me good, this one’s an absolute stumper.
Robert
I wonder if Bosch got hacked by a sinister agent, just getting you to click on script they are inserting. We just got word a very established charity website we give to was hacked. Not the same mechanism but a reminder of the jungle the internet is.
Stuart
It’s possibly, but not very likely. The email looked very official and chimes with their social media marketing posts.
Adabhael
Is it possible that the links are setting a cookie, and the “final page” just means “after you’ve visited all of them we show you the entry page”? Assuming it is intentionally this hard, it feels pretty consistent with the direction of Bosch marketing the last few years (that is not a compliment).
Jim Felt
“Direction”? That implies planning. Naw. No real evidence to support that theory.
fred
I too got the email – had no interest in the giveaway – so did not waste more than a glance – glad I didn’t get into the snipe hunt.
str8strych9
Is there a link to the puzzle itself? Not on their mailing list but intrigued…
Stuart
Not that I could find. I can’t supply my newsletter link as there are personal identifiers.
mike coutinho
i am a web dev and I spent an hour looking for it and couldn’t find it. Either it is randomized through some javascript, someone forgot, or they purposefully didn’t put it in.
Stuart
I checked out the source code too, and tried to inspect major elements. It didn’t help that like other newsletter services, the links are obfuscated due to tracking. I’m guessing the form is supposed to be on one of the “page not found” landing pages. Google site search didn’t help. The terms and conditions page is on a 3rd party user engagement domain, so maybe it’s there.
Someone at Bosch is going to be surprised tomorrow to see x-number of clicks and a total of zero entries.
str8strych9
Maybe not so literal with the ‘link’ – if the image in the post is part (or all) of the email or initial landing page, check there for clues
Stuart
There are lots of images and dynamic rotating graphics – there was a lot more to the email, it would have been too clunky to screenshot all of it.
wja
Their instructions said it all: “When you reach the final webpage in the scavenger hunt…”
I reckon that means they’re tracking all your clicks, and when you have clicked on ALL of their marketing material they will serve you up the entry form
I think it’s cheap and demeaning.
str8strych9
A shame. Was really hoping for a knot to unravel.
BJ
I was able to sign up for it, I went straight to the source code and clicked on all the links I could find in it and eventually clicked on one that went to a signup page.
ToolGuyDan
Just now? The contest already closed, per the T&C:
BJ
It was within about 10 minutes of getting the email. I happened to be looking at my email when it showed up.
Jamie Lee Davis
I got the email as well. For some reason I just wanted to delete. Didn’t feel like fooling with it. Bosch has faded with me.
Nathan
I suspect 2 things.
1 you were supposed to watch those video’s though to their completion as tracked by the link you clicked the first time.
2) once at the last one the end of that video gives you a link to another page with the form.
and finally being bosch marketing so far is a complete dumpster fire
3 they forgot to actually complete the program sequence so there is no form.
this is all a hunch on my part though I’d like a free laser distance measurer.
Jordan
I wasted a bunch of time looking for the link on my computer yesterday
G
I spent five minutes searching/clicking for the link. No dice.
Way to go Bosch. Turn your marketing into a homework assignment – with no right answer.
I’m out.
IndianaJonesy (Matt J.)
I did get to a Woobox link (used for contests and whatnot), but it’s unavailable/private. Go figure. Posting here for others in case it goes live, but seems like a dumpster fire of a contest to me.
https://woobox.com/8gt2ko/
Scott K
Yeah I clicked on every line of text and image that would open a link but only ended up at Bosch website pages or YouTube videos. I gave up after a while and just found this annoying. I was hoping there would be some creative thing to recognize 🤷🏼♂️
Stephen
Pretty crappy that the contest only ran for ~1 day. By the time I had a moment to carefully read through the email, I was already too late!
Jim Felt
They’re actually competing with Live Nation’s upcoming Bruce Springsteen Tour ticket sales model for least popular marketing award of the year.
AL
KobyBoschy Maru. No win.
Drew M
Wow. Glad I didn’t bother once I realized the giveaway was only for a laser range finder tool and not a fancy spinny green laser.
Bosch marketing is absolutely THE WORST.