Too Many Winners Spoil the Contest : Cheesy Kraft Dodges Van Giveaway Promo

CHICAGO —  Embarassed Kraft Inc. officials admitted today they cancelled a contest after finding out that a printing error made everyone a winner of a new van. Thousands of consumers accused the food maker of being pretty cheesy.

The “Ready to Roll” contest required consumers to match the right half of game pieces carried in advertisements in Sunday newspapers with left-sided pieces inserted in packages of specially marked Kraft Singles cheese slices. The ads ran in Chicago and Houston.

Kraft planned to give away one Dodge Caravan valued at $17,000, 100 bicycles, 500 skateboards and 8,000 packages of Kraft Singles.

According to the company, the odds of winning the van were 1 in 15.2 million.

But because of an error by the printer of the game pieces inside the cheese packages, it is probable that “thousands and thousands” would have won the van, said Kraft spokeswoman Kathy Knuth.

Some consumers who “won” the Dodge think they’re getting a dodge from Kraft.

“I’m not letting them get away with this baloney,” said Sharon LaMont of Skokie, who said her three members of her family would have won.

“I won a Dodge Caravan and four skateboards,” said Karen Winslow of Des Plaines. “Now, when I send it in, I’ll probably get a packet of coupons for Kraft cheese or something like that.”