USA -- Gap's nationwide search for babies and kids with a twinkle in their eye, charm in their smile and an expressive personality to match has officially started. Gap launched its fourth annual Gap Casting Call -- a nationwide contest to find the next faces of babyGap and GapKids. This year, Gap is teaming up with online parenting site, Disney Family.com, offering phenomenal prizes and more chances to win with its first-ever America’s Fan Favorite and Voters' Sweepstakes awards.

"Casting Call is one of our favorite programs and this year we want to make it bigger and better than ever,” said Pam Wallack, president of babyGap, GapKids and GapMaternity. “The contest is a unique and fun way for us to interact with our customers and their children and we are extremely excited to be partnering with Disney, a brand synonymous with not only families but also family entertainment, to enhance the program and add a little something special to this year’s Casting Call.”

How Casting Call Works:
Entry Phase: From Sept. 22 to Oct. 22, parents across the country can enter their child in the contest by visiting gap.com/castingcall to upload a photo of their baby (ages four and under) and kid (ages five to 10) for a chance to be featured in an upcoming babyGap or GapKids campaign in Feb. 2010.

The Finalists: Once the entry phase closes on Oct. 22, judges will narrow down the field to twenty finalists -- 10 babies (five girls and five boys) for babyGap and 10 kids (five girls and five boys) for GapKids. The 20 finalists will be flown to San Francisco with their families to participate in an official Gap photo shoot and will receive prize packages, including a $500 Gap gift card and a deluxe Disney gift bag.

Voting Phase: On Dec. 7, the twenty finalists will be unveiled and voting will begin on gap.com/castingcall. It will then be up to America to decide the next faces of babyGap and GapKids for a 2010 campaign. Voters can vote once a day every day for babyGap [1 boy and 1 girl] and GapKids [1 boy and 1girl]. And contestants won't be the only ones with a chance to win great prizes. This year, Gap and Disney Family.com are offering a special Voter Sweepstakes. For each vote cast at gap.com/castingcall from Dec. 7 – Dec. 21, voters will be entered in a contest to win a weeklong Luxury Included Caribbean family vacation to Beaches Resorts in Turks and Caicos or Jamaica.

The Winners: Four children will be selected as winners of the Gap Casting Call -- one baby girl and one baby boy for babyGap and one girl and one boy for GapKids. The winners will be featured in the windows of babyGap and GapKids stores from coast-to-coast and will receive other incredible prizes from Gap and Disney including a $1,000 Gap gift card and a Disney on Broadway package in New York or Las Vegas for a two-night VIP Lion King experience.

“In addition to inspiring great ideas for family life, Disney Family.com and the Gap are now giving moms a chance to showcase the kids that make it all worthwhile,” said Emily Smith, vice president, Disney Online Mom and Family Portfolio.

Introducing the Fan Favorite Award:
For the first time in Casting Call history, Gap is introducing an award for America’s “Fan Favorite.” The lucky child who receives the most votes at gap.com/castingcall starting on Sept. 22 will win a weeklong Luxury Included Caribbean family vacation to Beaches Resorts in Turks and Caicos or Jamaica.

Fan Favorite voting runs from Sept. 22 through Nov. 17 and the winner will be announced on Dec. 7, along with the 20 finalists. To help get the word out, parents can leverage the power of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and good ole’ fashioned e-mail to help get votes for their adorable tot.

To help spread the word about their charismatic Casting Call contestant, parents can create a "printable," an adorable mini Gap shopping bag photo holder with arms and legs to showoff their aspiring model. When parents submit a photo of their child, they can opt to print out the printable character that sits on the edge of a table or desk and holds a “Vote for me” sign.
 
Gap Inc