The Gucci Queen Margaret in quilted leather is quite a stunning backpack, and so is its price of S$4060.
More affordable is the Sony Playstation 4 in gold that’s retailing at S$340, a limited edition design that was sold between 9-17 June 2017.
Now imagine winning either item for just for US$1.
That is what this Singaporean entrepreneur wants to bring to you, luxury lover or not.
Love To Win
Created by enterprising Marcus Savage, LOVEWIN is a Singapore startup that seeks to combine our love to win with the meaningfulness of helping someone in need.
How the platform works is that you can play simple 60-second memory games to win luxury items.
Each play costs US$1 and you can play up to 5 plays per item. Each item has a play period of 10 days, and a fixed number of plays. Only when the required number of plays is hit will the winner will be selected.
All of the items are bought by LOVEWIN, and on average, 6-7 of them are won every 10 days with 75 winners in the past 4 months since their launch.
Some of the prizes that been given away were iPhones, Leica cameras and even holiday trips to Bali’s exclusive Bulgari resort.
In order to take part, there is an annual membership fee of US$1.
Here’s where the charity aspect comes in, 100% of the annual fees are donated to a partner charity, and you get to choose which one.
Luxury And Altruism – A Perfect Marriage
“[My] inspiration was derived from footwear company TOMS, a for-profit company that also aimed to help people in need,” reveals Savage, founder of LOVEWIN.
“It was a revelation because I always thought a company’s success was measured by how much they made.”
“I knew then if I were to ever create a business, it would like to be like TOMS. I guess there comes a point in life where money does not determine success alone, not that I’ve ever had any!”
It was a vision that he leapt wholeheartedly into, and after much discussion, Savage and his team decided that children born into unfortunate circumstances were the ones they wanted to help.
Now the team works with 3 organisations – the Rare Disorders Society Singapore, the Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders as well as Wishing Well Foundation Thailand.
“They really don’t have a choice, and it seems unfair they should have to face the world with such a disadvantage.”
“They are born with rare diseases, or are terminally ill [but] go into the world with innocence and hope to battle whatever lies ahead of them.”
Celebrity Awareness
LOVEWIN doesn’t just enjoy support from players hoping to win something nice, the local startup also works with celebrities.
These include Taiwanese singers Vanness Wu, Elva Hsiao and Wu Chun, Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin and actor Terence Cao, and Thai actresses Ying and Woonsen.
Some were friends but with others, you simply “pitch your idea and hope for the best”.
With their help in raising awareness, Savage reveals they managed to hit 10,000 sign-ups over 4 month – “encouraging signs” for their early phase.
“In general however, I do feel that celebrities care and are always willing to help if your vision is pure and your intention is clear.”
Everyone has been “humbled and have come to understand how important it is to make a difference”, Savage reflects.
“This motivates us to reach out to even more organisations to form collaborations. One of our aims is to work with organisations in numerous countries, so that people everywhere can give back locally.”
The LOVEWIN Future
LOVEWIN’s vision isn’t just about prizes – it’s about experience, Savage states.
“One day, we hope to fly people not only to a country, but for experiences such as Michelin star dining, private guided tours, and backstage passes to concerts.”
They also aim to work with various organisations from the environment to health, education and for all demographics and countries.
The short-term goal is create credibility and share the LOVEWIN vision – combining a love of giving with the luxury of winning.
“The long-term goal is to grow in different markets, but more importantly [to show] how LOVEWIN will evolve and play a bigger part in helping the charity organisations, online or offline.”
“I truly believe that people everywhere out there are looking to do something greater and more meaningful in helping others.”
You can check out the LOVEWIN website here to check what prizes are up for grab this week.
Featured Image Credit: Marcus Savage, Booking.com