1-800-ROCK-JEM AUDITION CONTEST

Some dolls from 1986 had a star printed on the right corner of the box advertising Jem's "Truly Outrageous" Audition Contest.  So far, I've only seen this on the 1986 female dolls' boxes, I am not sure if there is an "Audition Contest" Rio box or not. Inside these specially marked boxes, you got a piece of paper with all the directions and information, along with the music from the Jem Theme Song. Basically you phoned the number and sang the Jem song to get prizes. To think I've been doing it for free all these years!

	On the side of the box are the "no purchase necessary" rules.
		Among the prizes were the first trip to the MTV Music Video Awards in New York City as well as MTV concert jackets (human-sized) and Jem-sized MTV jackets and a poster, shown to the right.  I have not seen this poster for any other promotion or in any doll boxes.  The doll sized MTV jackets were also available through the Jemstar points offer. *Thanks to Alain for sending the photo of the poster!

Interestingly, Canadian residents were also permitted to enter the contest, and there are Canadian doll boxes with the Audition Contest directions and insert in them.

The Audition Contest Winner coverage Thanks to Layla who dug up this article for me.  I've decided to replace the winner's real last name with (Last name), as I'm not sure she would like to be bothered now with calls from crazed Jem fans :)

"PR Newswire September 5, 1986, Friday   NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRN/ -- One of the youngest attendees at the glittery MTV Music Video Awards tonight will be six-year-old Keri (Last name) from Seymour, Tenn.  She and her parents will be seated in New York's trendy Palladium amidst music industry executives, celebrity presenters and award nominees like Whitney Houston and Don Johnson. But Keri's favorite rock star will be right beside her. Phil Collins? No. Tina Turner? Not exactly. Rather, Keri's companion for the evening will be her favorite doll JEM. JEM, a fashion doll and star of the top-rated animated T.V. series for girls which airs Sunday mornings has become the biggest heart throb of millions of little girls like Keri. Like all the best heroes, JEM has a dual identity: she's a music executive by day and rock star by night. She's also got a social conscience; JEM's rock star earnings go to support a home for homeless girls.  Keri won a Hasbro Toy-sponsored promotional sweepstakes whose first prize was a trip to New York City to attend the MTV Awards.  Keri and more than 375,000 other girls and boys from all 50 states entered the sweepstakes by calling a toll-free number and singing the JEM theme song to a sophisticated answering system. Keri's entry was selected at random. In addition to the other prizes, she won a JEM outfit to wear to the awards broadcast. JEM's influence and popularity among girls Keri's age is due, in part, to the ripple effects of music video on fashion and music. ''Children today have a fascination with music videos because they portray the world larger than life, often with magical images,'' says Al Carosi, corporate vice president, marketing services, Hasbro Inc. ''That's the same approach we took in creating the world of JEM and its fantasy, fashion and music-oriented playsets.''  Part of the story is that JEM's alter ego, Jerrica Benton, is a record company executive and her boyfriend is the road manager for JEM's group, the Holograms. A ''battle of the bands'' takes place with another all-girl group, The Misfits, who are jealous of JEM and her success and constantly make mischief.  Keri's day in New York City, which will be her first trip outside her hometown area of Knoxville, Tenn., includes touring the United Nations/Statue of Liberty/Empire State Building, shopping at Macy's and F.A.O. Schwartz stores and lunch at Tavern-on-the-Green.  Keri's mother, Norma Jean  (Last name), was very supportive of Keri's entry into the contest. 'Keri's just loves to pretend and sing, so when she told me she wanted to sing the JEM song and try to win, I told her to go right ahead. Toys that expand a child's imagination and still provide good role models are toys that I want her to have.''  JEM, her boyfriend Rio, The Holograms and The Misfits are all trademark products of Hasbro Inc." And some more first hand memories of the contest, from Antipathy: "the MTV jacket was one of the third place prizes for the singing contest.  i know because i was one of the winners.  i entered that contest like a crazy lady.  i called several times a day.  it was lunacy.  anyhow, i remember getting this huge tube in the mail one day and wondering what the heck would be coming for me?  well, in it was a huge poster (a design i had not yet seen; actual art done by those who did the cartoon--not the illustrations from the boxes and whatnot); the MTV satin jacket; a letter congratulating me for winning; and something else that i can't remember!   i want to say a patch or sticker, but i'm not sure.  curse my failing memory of 18 years ago!!   i'd sure like to know about others who won prizes from this contest..."