Tongal

The goal of this project is to create a super funny and entertaining TV commercial – to possibly air in Scranton, PA during The Big Game in February 2013 – that will generate awareness, excitement and love for the expanded line of Dunder Mifflin products.

The Dunder Mifflin products should be the key focus of your commercial, and you must show their flagship product: Dunder Mifflin Copy Paper at least once in your commercial. Given the awesome subject matter here, we're expecting some pretty damn funny stuff from you. It should be done in the spirit of “The Office” without coming across as a parody of it and engaging enough to generate continued online appeal beyond being a great and memorable TV commercial.

Documentary-style interviews in the corner of a drab office that could be confused with actual episodes should be avoided. But legendary Jim Halpert-style pranks, Dwight Schrute-style tactlessness or Michael Scott-style cluelessness is welcome! 

Remember, the producers of "The Office" will be reviewing the entries, so be sure to put "quabity first."

--Thought Starters:

• How can your commercial help companies all over America connect with their inner Dunder Mifflin?

• What emotional benefit, that draws audiences back to “The Office” week after week, will those fans also get from seeing Dunder Mifflin sticky notes/mugs/Sharpies/etc pop up in their cubicles?

• Show how Dunder Mifflin products are a lifestyle brand that brings levity to your office and puts a bounce in your workday.

Not everyone may be familiar with Dunder Mifflin or “The Office” thus, the audience should be able to understand the product without a deep understanding of it's brand origin.

--Key Marketing Messages:

 •  “Your office will never be the same”

 •  “Paper was just the beginning” 

 •  “Limitless paper in a paperless world”

 •  “Our motto is ‘Quabity first’!”

 •  “Get your Scrant On!”

--Executional Mandatories:

 •  Your video MUST include the flagship product Dunder Mifflin Copy Paper (product samples to be provided by Quill/Tongal).

 •  The ad will need to clearly communicate that Dunder Mifflin products are available only through Quill.com.  Please use the Dunder Mifflin and Quill.com logos (located under the Assets Tab).

•  The close of each ad will have to direct viewers to watch “The Office” on NBC.  Tune-in art will be provided.  This can be a 2 second flash at the end of the ad and may need to include some brief legal copy as well.

**NEW**

 •  The integration of animals may help drive interest but is by no means required.  (We realize this is a last minute curveball and you may be too far long in your production process to incorporate animals but we wanted to make you aware of their interest here.)

 •  Do not duplicate "The Office" in any way – colors, characters, set, shooting style, etc.  Also, do not inadvertently copy this existing Dunder Mifflin commercial.

 •  IN ALL INSTANCES CASTS SHOULD BE DIVERSE BUT NOT FEEL PURPOSEFUL. OBVIOUSLY, DO NOT TRY TO MATCH OR RESEMBLE ANY OF THE OFFICE CHARACTERS.  BE DISTINCT.

--Target Audience: People who work in offices.  People who purchase office products for their office (mostly females, ages 22-55).

--Exposure: The winning video may be aired as part of a local ad buy during a televised event in 2013 (if determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion), will be marketed online, and will include a PR campaign around the spot. Neither Sponsor nor Tongal has any liability whatsoever if Sponsor determines not to air the winning Video. 

**You must be at least eighteen (18) years or older to enter and a resident of the United States.** 

**You must be at least eighteen (18) years or older to enter and a resident of the United States.** 

This project will be worth a total of $25,000 and consist of two phases, a Pitch Phase and a Video Phase. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: PITCH –

NOTE:  FOR THIS PROJECT YOU MUST INCLUDE EITHER STORYBOARDS OR A VIDEO PITCH OR YOUR SUBMISSION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Using text (500 characters or less), images (storyboards), video, and external links (to other supporting assets, i.e., your reel, etc.), give us your Pitch (What Is a Pitch Phase?)  for how YOU would go about producing a 30 second TV commercial based on the project objective. The FOUR most compelling Pitches will be selected and will receive $1,000 to help create their Video.  Those winners (upon submitting their Winner's Affidavit and IP Assignment) will also be GUARANTEED a winning place in the subsequent Video Phase.  So, if your Pitch is selected and you submit a video during the Video Phase, you will win an additional $2,000, at a minimum, and have a chance to compete for the $15,000 first place Video prize. Remember your Pitch can include any, and all, of the assets mentioned above and you MUST include a link to some of your previous video work on Tongal or elsewhere to be considered for this phase. All Pitches will remain private until after the winners of the Video Phase are announced and the Project is complete. Keep in mind, if you don’t win the Pitch Phase or choose not to create a Pitch, you will still have the opportunity to create and submit a “Wild Card” Video. 

PHASE 2: VIDEO – The FOUR winners from the Pitch Phase will create a 30 second TV commercial based upon their winning Pitches, and all other creators are invited to enter a “Wild Card” (What Is a Wildcard?) submission that is not based on any winning material from the previous phases.  The Judges will score all Wild Card Videos and the one (1) highest scoring Wild Card Video and the four (4) winning Videos submitted by Pitch winners will be scored to determine the standings for the Video Phase.  Remember, the FOUR Pitch winners, along with ONE non-Pitch Video creator, will receive prizes.

Video Phase Payout --

Winners of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: 1st place $15,000, 2nd place $6,000, 3rd place $2,000, 4th place $2,000, and 5th place $2,000.

--Music: Tongal has partnered with Audiosocket, a boutique music licensing and technology company representing more than 2,400 emerging bands, composers and record labels. This is not "stock" music. It is an inventory of more than 40,000 original, culturally relevant songs and music that have been compiled into a premium roster.  Audiosocket's music will be available to Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into Tongal members' submissions to this Project.  Tongal members are encouraged to browse the Audiosocket roster, available by clicking on the "Audiosocket" button on the right hand side of this page. If you are interested in using a track from the Audiosocket roster, as described above, just add the track(s) you want to use to your cart using the "+cart" button, then click the "checkout" button.  Enter the Tongal project name and click the "purchase and download" button to acquire the track for free ($0.00). Lastly, click the "download track" button, which will initiate the music file download. You may only use THREE Audiosocket tracks maximum as part of your video submission.

THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS ARE HEREBY INCORPORATED INTO AND MADE A PART OF THE TONGAL OFFICIAL RULES. THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE A SUPPLEMENT TO THE OFFICIAL RULES AND IN THE EVENT OF ANY INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS AND THE OFFICIAL RULES. TO THE EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY APPLICABLE LAW, THESE REQUIREMENTS SHALL GOVERN. 

1. The Dunder Mifflin Big Game Video Project begins at 12:30:00 p.m. Pacific Time on January 11, 2013 and ends at 9:30:00 a.m. Pacific Time on January 28th, 2013. 

2. You must be at least eighteen (18) years or older to enter and a resident of the United States. 

3. Videos MUST not exceed 30 seconds in length. Preferred format is HD 720p 16x9. Acceptable file formats are .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv. Acceptable codecs are H.264 (MP4), MPEG-4, H.263, MPGV, WMV, DivX. 

4. Unless provided otherwise, all work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. Submissions should not include any NBCU assets or theme music (other than the Dunder Mifflin logo, tune in, and Dunder Mifflin products). You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal. 

5. In the event you utilize any third party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider, you must obtain full written license and consent from the owner of such third party materials and provide such license and consent forms to Tongal. 

6. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Quill. 

7. Submissions must not portray Quill/Dunder Mifflin/”The Office” in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Quill/Dunder Mifflin/”The Office”. 

8. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled. 

9. Limit 5 submission(s) per member, per phase. 

10. Minimum 75 Pitches, or the contest may repost at the Sponsor's discretion. 

11. Sponsor will be entitled to one reasonable round of revisions on the finished videos without providing additional compensation. Remember it's easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible. 

12. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, and Music Releases for all assets appearing in the video as well as the project files, editing sequence and an uncompressed quicktime .mov file in either Animation or ProRes 422 codecs at either 1920x1080 or 1280x720 to claim their prize. 

13. Winners will be notified via email and those creators will be required to complete, sign, and return their Affidavit of Eligibility and Intellectual Property Release, as well as any other clearance documents (Talent, Location, and Music Releases) within 2 business days (48 hours) after the date of notice. 

14. Each winning Video creator must provide a broadcast ready high-resolution video file that meets the white page broadcast specs, to be provided. 

15. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES SOLELY THE PROPERTY OF TONGAL – SEE OFFICIAL RULES FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES.  YOU MAY NOT PUBLICLY SHARE OR PUBLISH YOUR SUBMISSION IN ANY MANNER AND YOU MAY NOT POST OR UPLOAD YOUR SUBMISSION TO ANY WEB SITE OR VIDEO HOSTING SITE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE OR VIMEO), WITHOUT THE PRIOR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF TONGAL.  FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR ENTRY IN THE PROJECT.

16. Tongal is the administrator of this program and will be solely responsible for enforcing the general guidelines and any clearance required for project submissions. 

17. See OFFICIAL RULES for additional contest information, terms and conditions. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between these requirements and the Official Rules, the terms and conditions of these requirements shall prevail. 

18. As conditions to your participation in this Project, by submitting an entry in any phase of this Project, you acknowledge that (a) your video submission, even if it is determined to be the winner, may not necessarily be broadcast during the BIG GAME or any other televised programming, and (b) none of NBCUniversal Media, LLC, Deedle Dee Productions and Shine America shall have any liability to you in connection with this Project, and agree to indemnify and hold each of Tongal, Sponsor, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, Deedle-Dee Productions and Shine America harmless from and against any and all damages, liabilities, fees (including attorneys’ fees) and expenses incurred by either of them which arise out of or relate to the actual infringement (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction) of any person’s or entity’s rights relating to or arising from your Submission to Tongal in connection with this Project. You further agree that none of Tongal, Sponsor, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, Deedle-Dee Productions and Shine America shall have any liability whatsoever to you or your affiliates in the event that Sponsor elects not to air the winning video on television. 

19. To find out who won, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the following address within three (3) months of the end of the Contest Period: Quill Dunder Mifflin Big Game Video Project, 100 Schelter Road Lincolnshire, Il 60069. 

20. THE SPONSOR OF THIS CONTEST IS: Quill.com, 100 Schelter Road Lincolnshire, Il 60069