Originally published January 24th, 2008. Updated for 2025.

I wrote about a weird contest I spotted in the newspaper way back in 2008. How times have changed! While newspapers aren’t exactly where we find contests anymore, that strange talent I developed has only gotten stronger. I decided to republish this blog with completely different content because the title is still perfect.

A Contest Hunter’s Superpower

A talent I’ve developed over the years is spotting the word WIN at 100 paces. It even trips me up occasionally when it turns out to be WINGS, WINTER, WIND, or my personal favorite false alarm: WINNERS.

I still joke with my boyfriend George that if we’re walking down the street and my head snaps around, I didn’t spot an attractive person – I saw a contest. These days, it might be a QR code on a receipt, a giveaway in a store window, or even those digital billboards flashing “Enter to Win!”

There’s Actually Science Behind This

It turns out there’s a name for being hyper-aware of sweepstakes and contests. It’s called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon (also known as the Baader-Meinhof effect), which happens when your awareness of something increases, leading you to believe it’s occurring more frequently than it actually is.

Why is your brain playing these tricks on you? Don’t worry – it’s perfectly normal. Your brain is simply reinforcing newly acquired information or things you’re actively thinking about. This phenomenon goes by several other names:

  • Frequency illusion – the feeling that something is happening more often.
  • Recency illusion – believing something is more common because you noticed it recently.
  • Selective attention bias – your brain filters information to focus on what’s relevant to you.

While this wasn’t originally discovered specifically for sweepstakes, it absolutely explains the heightened awareness of winning opportunities that we contest enthusiasts experience.

The Modern Contest Landscape

Back in 2008, I was scanning newspapers and magazines for entries. Fast-forward to 2025, and the contest world has exploded across digital platforms. Now I find myself spotting:

  • Instagram giveaway posts in my feed
  • “RT to win” tweets while scrolling
  • Email subject lines with contest keywords
  • Sponsored posts advertising sweepstakes
  • Mobile app notifications about daily entries
  • Influencer collaboration giveaways

The platforms have changed, but that same thrill of discovery remains. If anything, the digital age has made my “WIN-dar” even more sensitive.

The Question Remains

How far can you spot the word WIN?

Whether it’s glowing on a screen or printed on packaging, fellow contest hunters know exactly what I’m talking about. That split-second excitement when you think you’ve found your next entry opportunity, even if it turns out to be something completely unrelated.

Some things never change, and apparently, neither does the contest hunter’s instinct to spot opportunity everywhere we look.

What’s your record for contest spotting? Share your stories in the comments below!