SPLENDA® is looking for ONE filmmaker to create a 15-second TV commercial (with a 30 second version) for SPLENDA® Zero Liquid Sweetener.

** When Pitching, please check out Sponsor's notes for the Ideas. **

It's tough to balance work, have a social life and live a healthy lifestyle. There's temptation everywhere from the extra mocha frappuccino (with whip) your well-intentioned coworker left on your desk, to the ice cold sweet tea served by the pitcher at your favorite lunch joint, to the cookies your neighbor dropped off yesterday sitting on your kitchen countertop...

We all know that it may not be in our best interest to consume all that sugar, but we are human and sugar happens. While it's not the end of the world to have a few cookies, SPLENDA® Brand helps consumers make better choices by swapping full sugar for SPLENDA® Sweetener Products.

Working with Tongal, SPLENDA® is looking to create a TV Commercial featuring their first new product in 5 years, SPLENDA® Zero Liquid Sweetener. With 0 grams of calories, 0 grams of sugars, and 0 grams of carbs; it's an easy way to add sweetness to your favorite drink, and make it just the way you like it. Whether it is lightly sweetened coffee in the morning or extra sweet iced tea in the afternoon, a few drops can help you cut back on added sugar and still have a drink that is delicious from the first sip to the last because it mixes instantly.

Please read below for more information:

• SPLENDA® Zero Liquid Sweetener is a NEW product launching in March 2016. It is a convenient portable bottle of sweetening liquid where each squirt is equal to the sweetness of one packet of sugar.
• The takeaway of the commercial should be: SPLENDA® has something new and exciting! It is a new liquid sweetener which is a great way for me to make my favorite drinks just the way I like them anytime, anywhere.
• It is highly recommended that you submit a FOOD STYLIST during the Pitch Phase.
• The Sponsor will have TWO rounds of revisions on the final Video.

The goal of this project is to make a 15-second TV commercial with a longer 30-second version for SPLENDA® Zero Liquid Sweetener.

Keep in mind the Product Features and Key Benefits:

Product Features

• Zero Calorie, Zero Sugar, Zero Carb
• Convenient No Spill Bottle
• Each serving = ½ packet of SPLENDA®

Key Benefits

• Perfect for customizing any drink – anytime & anywhere
• Mixes better than sugar & packets
• ‘Free food’ in a diet for people with diabetes

Check out these links for inspiration:

• Sweet Swaps (www.sweetswaps.com) - This is the current campaign providing consumers ideas on how they can swap sugar for SPLENDA®. This campaign provides great sense of brand look and feel of current assets.
• Current SPLENDA® TV Commercial and other SPLENDA® YouTube videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/SplendaSweeteners)
• The brand is looking a sense of high energy and has the fun vibe. While SPLENDA® has a different product, target audience, and personality, the following Robinson Squashed ad  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t13YLtAAogw)  provides a good sense of an ad that meets the high energy request the brand is looking for..

NOTE: The 15 and 30-second Videos are both due at the close of the Video Phase. Please upload them as separate videos when submitting your Videos.

--Key Marketing Messages:

• Experience the joy of sugar without all of the calories.
• Think Sugar, Use SPLENDA®

--Target Audience: The target audience is women over 35. More about her below:

• She has a real sweet tooth but she wants to live a more balanced lifestyle.
• She’s a social butterfly and loves entertaining, but it’s hard when she’s trying to limit her calories from sugar. Trying to find the right balance in her choices is a constant challenge for her.
• When SPLENDA® launched it was love at first taste for her but over time her usage has become habitual, so now, although she still looks at SPLENDA® as a great tasting choice in her tea and coffee, she uses it less because it isn’t top of mind. 
• Recently, her sweetening choices have become increasingly more difficult for her with all the buzz around the safety of artificial sweeteners, the spread of natural products and concerns tied to excessive sugar usage. She looks at SPLENDA® as a smart, great tasting choice for her every day needs, but just isn’t as excited as she once was about the brand.
• Consumer Insight: Having her cup of coffee made just the way she likes it is a highlight of her day. Whether it's serving it at her dinner party or having a cup when the kids go to school, the sweet taste makes her enjoyable moments even better. But she does worry about the calories she's consuming, so is often on a diet and aspires to make smarter, healthier lifestyle choices.

--Executional Mandatories:

DOs

• Please show the new product packaging
• Please include product usage within the spot (bottle squeeze, a stream not a drop) – please depict in beverages
• Please have a high degree of fun, energy, and breakthrough in your Video
• Please include the copyright language: “©Heartland Consumer Products LLC, 2016”

DON’Ts

• Please be wary of encouraging increased usage of indulgent recipes. Do not imply that a recipe is healthy just because it uses a SPLENDA® Sweetener Product, as the other ingredients may still make it high calories or other nutrients of concern (i.e., added sugar, saturated fat or sodium). Recipe items should always be framed in the context of swapping out the higher calorie version.
• Imagery of sweets should not be indulgent or excessive (i.e. cup of hot chocolate with big topper of whipped cream, large smoothie or shake).
• Recipes are rarely sugar-free due to sugars from other sources. Must frame it as no or less added sugar.
• Do not show any other 3^rd party brands or trademarks.

--Tone: The tone should be warm, upbeat, and welcoming. The Video should feel genuine, shareable, playful, and empathetic.

--Exposure: TV and Social Channels

This project prize pool is worth a total of $40,000 and consists of THREE (3) Phases: an Idea Phase, a Pitch Phase and a Video Phase. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: IDEA  – Tell us your Idea for a SPLENDA® Zero Liquid Sweetener TV Commercial in 140 characters or less. Remember, an Idea (What is an Idea Phase?) is not a detailed script; it is a spark of inspiration, or a distillation of what will happen in the Video. As always, Ideas should be clever and engaging. The winning Idea creators will receive $500 each.

PHASE 2: PITCH - Submit your Pitch (What is a Pitch Phase?) convincing the Sponsor why you should be selected to execute a Video based on one of the winning Ideas from the previous Phase using:

• Text (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this Video. 

• Links (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. Please specify your role (producer, director, cinematography, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL. Please link to individual videos.

• Script (REQUIRED): This should include dialogue from the video you intend to create. 

• Treatment (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what's going to happen in the video. 

• Storyboards (REQUIRED): Additional concept art, storyboards, shot list, anything that helps get your point across.

• Headshots/Casting Boards (REQUIRED): Casting notes or concepts, headshots of actors, etc.

• Location (REQUIRED): Please let us know where you plan to film the TVC and give us an idea of what your set will look like.
• Food Stylist (Optional): It is highly recommended that you include a link/ or upload to your FOOD STYLIST’S portfolio.

• Pitch Video (Optional): This is your opportunity to show us what you're capable of. Consider submitting a Pitch video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect should they choose your Pitch. Also, test videos, animatics, etc. are welcome.   

The most compelling Pitch will be selected and, upon submitting the Winner’s Affidavit and the IP Assignment, will receive $15,000 to help create the Video. Additionally, upon submitting a Video that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch, the Pitch winner will also be GUARANTEED a winning place in the subsequent Video Phase. So, if your Pitch is selected and you execute your Pitch effectively in your Video submission, you will win an additional $24,000. For an example of an effective Pitch, check out The Indie Machines winning “3 Artists & 5,000 LEGOs” Pitch video. All Pitches will remain private until after the winner of the Video Phase is announced and the Project is complete.    

PHASE 3: VIDEO – The winner from the Pitch Phase will create a 15-second TV commercial with a 30-second version based upon his/her winning Pitch.

NOTE: The 15 and 30-second Videos are both due at the close of the Video Phase. Please upload them as separate videos when submitting your Videos.

--Video Phase Payout: Winner of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: 1^st place $24,000

--Music: Tongal has partnered with two premiere music providers: Audioblocks 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 provider’s names above.

Tongal members interested in a custom music solution for your project are invited to connect with SCORE A SCORE.  They specialize in the creation of custom music, on-demand.  

Their business model is based on a "name your price" system, so you can tell them what your budget is, and they will work with you to create a deal configuration that will work within the discussed parameters. Check out the FAQ for more information and how to contact SCORE A SCORE. 

If you are selected as a winner and choose to use custom/original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. If you obtain music from other catalog providers, you must purchase the appropriate license at your own expense and submit it with our Music Release Form when you turn in your Video paperwork.  

--Referral: Any Tongal member who refers one of the winning Video creators in this Project using the Tongal “Invite Friends” functionality will receive a referral fee equal to 5% of the amount won up to $500 per place. Check out more about our Referral Program in FAQ.

1. The Video MUST not exceed 30-seconds in length. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website 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. Should you win, you will also be required to provide a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec

2. Unless provided otherwise, all work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal.

3. In the event you utilize any third party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider not provided by Tongal, 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.

4. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES THE SOLE PROPERTY OF TONGAL OR ITS ASSIGNEES – 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 WEBSITE 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.

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

6. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor.

7. By submitting to this project, you acknowledge that your work may become subject to public voting on the Tongal site. Public voting may be used to help the project sponsor determine the final rank order.

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

9. Limit 5 submissions per member, per Phase.

10. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.

11. In the event that fewer than 50 Pitches are received, the Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest for up to fourteen (14) days at their discretion.

12. In addition to the judging criteria stated in the OFFICIAL RULES, Pitches will also be evaluated on that member's ability to execute the final Video based on their prior work and experience as a filmmaker.

13. The Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable 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.

14. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their winning Videos, as well as a photograph/headshot  OR copy of a photo ID for all On-camera Talent releases. You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec to claim your prize.

15. 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.