Submit your most heartwarming, hilarious, and authentic short video clips of you and your pets to be used by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) to create an anthem video about the real reasons we love our pets.
Science tells us that pets lower our blood pressure, reduce stress, and help us live longer. But that's not really why we bring a pet into our lives, is it? We do it for the head tilts, the happy wiggles, the comforting purrs, and the chaotic moments that make us laugh. We do it for the kind of love that’s hard to measure, but impossible to ignore. This is "The Real Reason" we share our homes and hearts with animals. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) wants more people to learn about the health benefits of owning a pet and consider bringing a pet into their home. And that's where you come in: HABRI wants to celebrate what your pets mean to you, so send in clips of you with your furry (or not-so-furry) familiars, and they may make it into a compilation video to be shared across their website, social media, and potentially even on CTV or broadcast!
We're looking for your home footage that captures the heartwarming, humorous, and deeply personal interactions between you and your pet. Think less about creating a polished video and more about capturing a genuine moment. Show us the joy, the silliness, and the unbreakable bond you share with your animal companion. The best camera for this project is the one you already have with you: your phone! We're looking for authentic, in-the-moment clips, not a big film production.
To give your pets the spotlight they deserve, we recommend filming close up and at eye-level to the pet. We suggest filming the videos horizontally, although this is not a requirement, and the length should be roughly :20 to :30 seconds. If you have multiple family members (including kids) interacting with your pet, we'd love to see that too, just make sure to upload a signed release for anyone seen or heard in the video. You can submit up to five times if you have multiple clips you'd like to present. Ultimately, your video should be a small window into your life that reminds everyone of the simple, everyday magic of owning a pet.
Examples of footage we're looking for:
Ultimately, we are looking to award 20 creators for their submissions, so we'll need a wide variety of pets and moments. While dogs and cats are a priority, we'd love to see other pets like birds, reptiles, fish, or rodents. Unfortunately, no rabbits, pugs, bulldogs, or exotic animals.
To qualify, your submission must include your video clip, along with signed releases for both you and your pet, as well as your pet's name.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There will 20 videos clip submissions selected.
To enter your submission, you must:
EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used on the platforms below, but if casting talent, be sure they review our required Talent Release before they're cast, as we CANNOT guarantee that usage is limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Gen Z and Millennials, but the content should be heartwarming and relatable to all current or potential pet owners.
TONE/FEEL: Heartwarming, Humorous, Authentic, Joyful, and Candid.
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
THE CAMPAIGN: THE REAL REASON
The core idea of the campaign is to marry the scientific benefits of pet ownership with the real, emotional reasons we bring pets into our lives. Pets lower our blood pressure, reduce stress, ease loneliness, and even help us live longer. That’s all true. But it’s not why we bring a pet home. We do it for the bleps, the boops, the wiggles, the squeaks, the cuddles… The kind of love that’s hard to measure, but absolutely impossible to ignore. The science is clear but it’s not the whole story. Your footage should capture the spirit of those immeasurable moments.
In order to be considered, include the below materials in your submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery. All Pitches remain private, even after a Pitch is selected, and Tongal strives to have Pitch selections made by the end of the Evaluation period, but additional time may be required by the Sponsor, depending on any number of factors. Unless specifically requested, there's no need to include a budget with your submission.
The most compelling clips will be greenlit by the Sponsor, 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 greenlight funds is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal, typically included with the project timeline.
To ensure a smoother delivery, please review the Export Presets, Specifications, and Project File Organization Tutorial in our Filmmaker Resource Portal.