What if, instead of waiting in long lines to get into Supreme or hitting refresh on repeat to score concert tickets, you could open an app and win the goods for free? That's the covetable concept behind the hyped new app Suprize, which is trying to do for hard-to-get products what HQ did for trivia shows: Disrupt an experience that has, until now, been relatively stale.
The swag on Suprize is impressive. Since the app launched on February 13, users have won Kylie Cosmetics beauty products, Yeezy Boost kicks, G-Eazy concert tickets, Supreme hats and backpacks, Gucci wallets and headbands, and straight up cash.
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Here's how it works: To get in the game, all you need to do is download the app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your phone number. You'll get a text with a six-digit confirmation code to enter in the app. You aren't required to give your name, location, or any other personal information. (The only time you need to enter your name and address is if you win a prize.)
When you open the app, you'll see a countdown to the time of the next prize drop (there are three to seven free product drops every day). If you want a hint about the upcoming giveaway, you can watch a short, 30-second ad to get one. But you don't need to: When you get close to the time of the giveaway, the app will reveal what the product is in a fun, onscreen video. To actually win, you'll need to be on the app as soon as the clock runs down, and a helpful push notification lets you know when it's close. The "game" contenders play to win is simple: Find the "wrong" emoji in a grid of "right" emoji. It's the millennial version of "which of these things is not like the other." You'll know if you won as soon as the 60-second game ends (the fastest times win), when you'll be taken to a new screen to enter your address so you can get your prize in the mail.
Courtesy of Surprise.
If all of this sounds too good to be true, you're not alone — multiple reviews on the App Store question the app's legitimacy and its founders say they go back and forth with winners over email and Snapchat to convince them that they have, in fact, won.
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Which brings us to another question everyone is asking — who are Suprize's creators and how are they getting all this exclusive product to begin with? The two people behind Suprize plan to stay anonymous — they say they want they want to keep the focus on the product, though the mystery is also a factor — but Refinery29 can confirm that they're members of Drake, Ariana Grande, and Justin Bieber's squads. This shouldn't be that surprising — the app looks like something that came straight out of an ideas meeting for Drake's "God's Plan" music video.
In an email interview, one of the creators told Refinery29 that they get all of the prizes directly from brands and manufacturers and nothing is acquired from resellers or third parties. Influencers, including Preme and Jasmine V, have also contributed some of the product. For now, the only monetization seems to come from the ads that play before "hints" appear onscreen.
What's next? The app's creators say bigger prizes, including ones directly from brands and celebrities. The one small caveat: You're only allowed to win one prize every 72 hours, so choose which products you play for wisely.