Create an engaging anthem video that celebrates the long, complex, and often wacky history of breastfeeding - while acknowledging and uplifting the simple truth that all boobs are good boobs, and all food is good food.
How do you feed your baby? It's a question that mothers have dealt with for generations; the "proper" responses constantly shifting with changes in social norms around motherhood and parenting. Nursing mothers have been idolized in art, and vilified in public; they've been applauded while privately dealing with cracked nipples and latching issues, chastised for pumping or supplementing with formula, and everything in between; and mothers who can't nurse or choose not to nurse have dealt with these issues and more. At the end of the day, all that actually matters is feeding your baby; how you do it, a personal question fraught with public and private scrutiny, shouldn't matter.
In other words, you do you, mama.
Every August, Motherhood Maternity celebrates all things boobs and baby-feeding for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. In previous years, they've built their campaign around real moms and their babies talking candidly about their personal breastfeeding/baby-feeding experiences. These interviews have been uplifting, raw, inspiring, and tear-jerking – just like parenthood itself. For 2021, Motherhood Maternity is turning to the Tongal community for an anthemic video that dives into the timeline of breastfeeding since the 1800s: how science, attitudes, and clothing have changed over the decades; how social norms have come and gone; and how much we have – or, maybe, haven't – evolved our societal point of view around all things breastfeeding, culminating in a truism we can all agree on: feeding your baby is what matters most.
Your anthem video should be honest and unapologetic, bold, snappy, and to-the-point, but shouldn't shy away from humor or some of the darker aspects and attitudes around breastfeeding both past (think wet nurses) and present (like social norms around breastfeeding in public). Your anthem video should take a global, universal view, including breastfeeding experiences and attitudes in various countries and cultures, and can go as far back in history as you deem necessary: consider what breastfeeding/baby feeding looked like in ancient times, in Greek mythology, during the industrial revolution, and the class and gender politics surrounding everything from wet nurses to male doctors and scientists developing formula.
Think about how you'd literally bring this timeline and history of breastfeeding to life by combining live-action, motion graphics and/or animation, archival footage or stills, and more. Timelapses, montages, and collaging different visual formats and styles are all strongly encouraged and off-the-wall approaches are fair game, too. And be sure to check out the Background/Additional Details section for more info, tone references, and links to Motherhood Maternity's previous Breastfeeding Awareness Month campaigns. For any questions or other project updates, check out the project forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 36 total video assets and 10 still assets. These deliveries are split between two target dates:
July 26 Delivery (28 Assets):
August 6 Delivery – 18 Assets:
TIMELINE: For the full project timeline please see the Assets section. Please note that this project has rolling delivery with two delivery milestones on July 26 and August 6.
EXPOSURE: YouTube, Instagram Stories, Motherhood Maternity's website, both on desktop and mobile, and email blasts to subscribers. Please review the platform best practices page.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Mothers, parents, and mothers-to-be
TONE: Honest, inspiring, uplifting, encouraging, celebratory; genuine, authentic, and engaging. Don't shy away from humor and irony, either – there's a lot of silly ideas and contraptions to explore in the history of breastfeeding!
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
OPEN BID:
Shooting live action or stop motion? Our priority is ensuring everyone's safety, and we're now requiring a COVID safety protocol plan for all relevant productions. Please review our COVID-19 Production Safety Guide and check federal, state, and local rules before and during your shoot to make sure your on-set protocols are up to date. We're working hard to keep people working during this extraordinary time, and you should ensure your submission is executable within the anticipated timeline and budget, while also ensuring everyone's safety.
Real Mothers. Real Stories. Real Life. That's Motherhood Maternity's ethos, and since 1982, they've had mamas' backs (and bumps) when it comes to what to wear, from belly to baby and beyond. And when it comes to breastfeeding, Motherhood Maternity believes that all boobs are good boobs; all boobs are created equal; and all food is good food. So you do you, mama.
Check out Motherhood Maternity's 2019 Breastfeeding Awareness Month series here:
And before you pitch, take a look at these references for tone/style:
Finally, these blogs do a great job of showing the timeline of breastfeeding, with some interesting photos/images:
In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your pitch submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.
The most compelling pitch will be greenlit, and the responsible creator will then receive an email from Tongal producers detailing next steps. All submitters will also receive an automated email notification that a selection has been announced. To ensure you’re receiving project updates, review your email settings to check that you haven’t unsubscribed.
Creators who’ve been selected will receive funding upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment. Payment of the pitch funds is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal. Please see the full payment schedule in the Assets section.
PRE-PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS: Prior to shooting, filmmakers must receive the below approvals from the Sponsor.
For your convenience, we’ve provided some helpful templates to use at your discretion. They include templates for creating a treatment, production budget, storyboards, shot list, call sheet, and a music cue sheet. Additionally, there are templates that will help you clearly present cast, location, and wardrobe options to the Sponsor. They can all be accessed here.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Tongal supports inclusivity in all of our productions and strongly encourages you to hire diverse talent for your team. To find staff & crew in your area, check out these resources and partners.
REVISION REQUIREMENTS: Once the Video Phase has closed, the greenlit submitters will enter the Revisions Phase. Filmmakers will perform reasonable edits on their videos according to the Sponsor’s feedback.
MUSIC: Tongal has partnered with three premiere music providers: Jingle Punks, Universal Production Music and Epidemic Sound, any of which can be used to source music for your video submission to this project. Music from these providers is available to registered Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into submissions to this project and will not require a separate Music Release Form. To learn more about using each of these music providers, click on any of the providers’ names above.
If you choose to use custom/original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. If you obtain music from third-party catalog providers, you must purchase the appropriate license at your own expense and submit it with your license purchase receipt when you turn in your video paperwork.
ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS: You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec in order to submit final payment. You are responsible for the costs associated the hard drive and shipping.
For Tongal’s file delivery specs and any other questions you may have about post production, please click here.