# How New York DTC Fashion Brands Run Shopify Video Contests

By ReelWin Team · Last updated October 21, 2026

New York DTC fashion brands can use Shopify video contests to turn customer enthusiasm into a repeatable source of authentic creative. Rather than asking shoppers for content through disconnected channels, a contest gives them a clear submission path, a reason to participate, and a defined winner-selection process. ReelWin is built for Shopify merchants that want to launch UGC video and photo contests, collect entries through a branded portal, and manage the campaign from one place.

## Key takeaways

- A customer video contest can give fashion shoppers a structured way to submit authentic UGC.
- ReelWin supports contest setup, branded submission pages, entry review, media downloads, and winner selection in Shopify.
- Clear prizes, dates, rules, and follow-up emails help create an organized contest experience.
- Submitted videos and photos can be collected for use across social channels, ads, and the store.

For a New York DTC fashion brand, customer videos can show products in real-life settings and give shoppers a more participatory role in the brand experience. The operational challenge is not simply inviting customers to post. Merchants need a way to define the giveaway, collect submissions consistently, keep entries organized, communicate with participants, and select winners. A Shopify-native contest workflow can bring those steps together while keeping the contest connected to the store.

## Start with a contest customers can understand

A useful video contest begins with a specific prompt that tells customers what to create and what they may win. The campaign should have clear prizes, dates, submission expectations, and rules before promotion begins. That clarity helps customers decide whether to participate and gives the merchant a consistent framework for reviewing entries.

ReelWin uses a guided setup wizard to build contests around those core elements. Merchants can configure prizes, dates, pages, emails, and rules, then create a dedicated contest experience rather than relying on an informal request for content. Each contest can have its own customizable submission page, so entries remain organized by campaign.

## Collect video submissions through a branded destination

A contest needs an easy route from promotion to submission. Brands can promote a campaign with shareable links, Shopify theme blocks, and customizable email campaigns, directing customers to the branded submission portal. There, customers can submit UGC videos and photos for the relevant contest.

This approach gives the merchant a central collection point for authentic customer content. Instead of manually assembling material from multiple conversations or post formats, the brand can collect entries within its contest workflow and keep the submission experience aligned with the store.

## Review entries and choose winners without a fragmented process

Once submissions arrive, the work shifts to evaluation and follow-up. ReelWin provides one dashboard for reviewing contest entries, downloading UGC media, and picking winners. This gives the team a single place to work through the content collected for a particular campaign.

The platform also stores submissions and can automatically send entry-confirmation and winner emails using templates the merchant customizes. Those messages help acknowledge participation and communicate the contest outcome without requiring the team to send each notice manually. After the contest, the collected videos and photos can support the brand’s social channels, advertising, and store creative.

## Use contests as a repeatable UGC program

The value of a customer video contest grows when a merchant can run the process again with a new prompt, prize, or seasonal focus. With contest-specific submission pages and entries organized by contest, teams can keep separate campaigns distinct while continuing to collect customer-created media. ReelWin offers a three-day free trial on new subscriptions, allowing Shopify merchants to evaluate the contest-building workflow before committing to a broader UGC program.

**Edited by**

Sam Fast

Community Manager

Sam is a dedicated communicate manager for new and existing ReelWin Shopify merchants.