While social distancing restrictions are gradually starting to lift, Aussies still face a long Winter of not being able to venture far from their own homes or have large indoor gatherings.
But there’s good news for everyone dreading another minute of cabin fever: PayPal Australia has launched a new national competition and is challenging Aussies to throw the best ‘iso-party’ and go into the running to win one of six, $500 prizes every week.
The competition – It Pays to Keep Your Distance – kicks off this weekend and will run for the month of May. To enter, all you need to do is gather your family or friends together virtually, throw an awesome party, and share a screenshot of your party in full flare on Instagram. Make sure to follow the @PayPalAU Instagram page, include the hashtag #PayPalisoparty and tag @PayPalAU in the post. Each week, PayPal will select the top six party pictures and deposit $500 in the party-hosts PayPal account.
The catch? There isn’t one…except everyone knows a party isn’t a party, without a theme. So, to spice things up and inspire partygoers to get inventive, PayPal has set weekly themes:
· 7 May to 13 May – Mother’s Day party
· 14 May to 20 May – Saturday night house party with your crew
· 21 May to 27 May – Sunday brunch with your mates
· 28 May to 3 June – International food party
If you are celebrating a birthday party, anniversary party or baby shower, you are still eligible to enter. PayPal will be awarding these celebrations throughout the competition!
PayPal shopping expert Danielle Grant said now there is no reason for any Aussie to say they have nothing to do this weekend:
“Over the last couple of months, I’ve really missed hanging out with my extended family and my friends. But I’ve learnt during this time is that keeping your physical distance doesn’t mean you have to be completely isolated and connecting online is a great way to hang out and look after our mental health during this challenging period,” Grant said.
“While the social distancing restrictions are gradually easing, we still all need to do our bit to help flatten the curve and avoid gathering in large groups. So, if you’re looking for things to do this weekend, look no further, gather your friends online and throw an iso-party! We want to see creativity, flare, and out-of-the box thinking!”
To help Aussies throw the ultimate iso-party, Danielle Grant shares her top tips and tricks:
1. Support local small businesses by purchasing your iso-party takeaway snacks, drinks, decorations, and even dress-up outfits, from a restaurant or store that is still open for business in your area. This Mother’s Day, check out Lily’s Florist, Good Pair Days and Ettitude for gift-spo and decoration-spo
2. Choose the video conference platform that will best suit your group and the type of iso-party you are throwing. The larger online video chat platforms are great options for big groups as they allow you to see everyone’s faces on the screen. There also apps you can download on your phone that let you play virtual games and do trivia quizzes in groups.
3. Pick a start time for your iso-party and try stick to it, the same way you agree on a time to meet up with friends in person. This will help ensure everyone is online at the same time and recreate the atmosphere you have during a Saturday night on the town.
4. Use the iso-party as an excuse to change out of your active wear and get dressed-up. If you are at home it is tempting to stay comfortable, but there is something to be said for dressing up as if you’re going out even when connecting online.
5. Dropouts, lags and blurry faces caused by slow internet can be a real buzz kill, so consider keeping your mobile phone handy as a backup connection. If your home speed drops, try rejoining the party from your phone or connect to its 4G service through personal hotspot.
Competition Judging Criteria
Entries will be judged by a panel of PayPal Australia employees against the following criteria
a. Overall quality of the photo clarity, colour, lighting, exposure and focus, composition
- Clarity of participants expression
- Creativity and originality
- Humour
- Audience appeal including the amount of social engagement with the image
