Create a suite of broadcast and digital videos that drive viewers to AceYourRetirement.org, a free three-minute online chat from Ad Council and AARP that provides users with a customized retirement savings action plan.

***Please Note that only U.S. Residents are eligible to submit for this project.***

Ad Council, in partnership with AARP, is looking to create a suite of direct response videos that drive viewers to AceYourRetirement.org. The goal of this project is to empower people who are about 10-15 years away from retirement to take control of their savings and financial futures. By completing the free, three-minute online chat with Avo^SM, the friendly digital retirement coach you can find here, users will receive a free personalized retirement savings plan.

Our goal is to make sure people understand the value AceYourRetirement.org’s online chat provides and are thus motivated to click through to take the chat. The resulting suite of videos will be an extension of AARP and the Ad Council's existing saving for retirement campaign. 

Your pitch MUST be based on one of the four concepts in the Background / Additional Details section, but Ad Council is open to a variety of executions - e.g. live-action, 2D animation, 3D animation, stop motion, etc. - so feel free to get creative with how you'd bring the videos to life.

DELIVERABLES: Six total videos:

• One :60 hero video (16x9)
• Two :30 videos (16x9)
  • These videos will cover the overall messaging from TWO different angles. One should walk through the AceYourRetirement.org website and explain how the free chat with Avo works. The other should illustrate the tips and resources available through the website and the important impact it has through creative storytelling.
• One :15 video cutdown (16x9) of the hero
• One :15 video cutdown (3x4) of the :30 Angle 1
• One :15 video cutdown (3x4) of the :30 Angle 2

TIMELINE: For the full project timeline please see the Assets section.

EXPOSURE: 

• Broadcast
• Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Please check out our platform best practices page.

TARGET AUDIENCE: 

• Adults 45-60 who are employed full or part-time and who have access to retirement savings vehicles such as an employer-sponsored plan
• They are about 10-15 years away from retirement, but may not feel prepared for their financial future because of a lack of savings and/or uncertainty of where to begin
• Household income is between $40K and $99K
• Adults who are a part of the “underserved middle,” meaning they have the resources to prepare for retirement but are also pulled in many directions financially

TONE: 

• Empowering
• Respectful
• Empathetic
• Urgent – it’s not too late to start saving for your retirement
• Acknowledging the current financial environment and public health crisis

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

• Must include Avo, drive to the AceYourRetirement.org website, and clearly explain what users will receive on the website and what the online chat experience entails.
• If you're planning to pitch a live-action approach, you can use the same actor for all six videos. 
• NO references to a perfect retirement, where someone is relaxing on a beach without a care. We need to be realistic about what retirement will look like for this audience. NO overpromising.
• NO using “Ace Your Retirement” language when not in context of the website i.e. we can’t say “Ace your retirement!” but can say “visit AceYourRetirement.org”; always present AceYourRetirement.org as a destination.
• AVOID pitches that rely on or reference statistics, calculators, or a “magical number” since those can frequently change and don’t capture any emotional response.
• NO profanity or allusion to inappropriate behavior or action. Do NOT use language that could be considered racist/homophobic/misogynistic.
• NO references to politics, individual policymakers, or elected officials. Do NOT make any references to religion or religious figures (including "God" or “oh my god”).

NOTE: Our priority is ensuring everyone's safety, so 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 our advice here is to make sure your submission is executable while also ensuring everyone's safety.

Your pitch MUST be based on one of the four concepts below:

HAPPY DANCE - Move-in on a man dancing happily around in his apartment in slow motion. VO: “This is Henry. Henry is 45 and has just discovered that it’s not too late for him to start a retirement plan." VO urges the viewer to visit the website for more info.

• PLEASE NOTE: If you choose to base your pitch on this concept, your treatment should explain how you'd effectively tie the messaging back to the website, what it offers, and its value.

TOOLBOX - As we go through life, we utilize tools that help us excel i.e. coaches in sports, teachers in college, trainer for health, books for knowledge, mentors for careers. Isn't it time to add a tool to help plan for our future?

• PLEASE NOTE: Ad Council would prefer to position Avo as a coach, mentor, guide, etc. than as a literal tool. The word “tool” is already overused when it comes to retirement materials, and we want to make sure we are not overplaying or oversimplifying Avo and the chat experience as merely a “tool."

REAL PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR RETIREMENT - Real people on the street admit they don't have a plan for their retirement. Variations of "I'm too busy" & "I don't know how," but with AceYourRetirement.org it takes only 3 minutes to help plan for your financial future. "I just chat? Sounds easy!" It is! Check it out today!

YOU CAN PLAN ON IT - With Avo as spokescharacter, we remind people that our lives often don't go as planned, and reasons why are often out of our control. But one thing we can control is having an action plan for a retirement 10-15 years away. One that's free/fast/customized.

Since 1942, the Ad Council has offered trusted advice and inspiring calls-to-action. In fact, they created the category of public service advertising, and their icons and slogans are woven into the very fabric of American culture. The Ad Council is where Smokey Bear lives. The Ad Council saw that “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” and reminded Americans that, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” 

Today, they are working with AARP to help people save for their retirement. 

The campaign's target audience (people who are about 10-15 years away from retirement but who are not yet financially prepared to retire) find the resources on the AceYourRetirement.org website to be actionable and helpful and Avo's tone of voice to be empathetic and empowering. 

With the current financial crisis – which was highly unexpected and came on suddenly – people recognize the importance of saving but need to understand and feel like it is something they can start doing today, despite the challenging economic environment.

PLEASE CHECK OUT THESE REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION ON MESSAGING FORMAT: 

• Check Ad Council's existing saving for retirement campaign. This should give you a good idea of the tone the Ad Council is looking for.
• Also, visit AceYourREtirement.org and go through the chat experience to review the personalized action items.

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.

• 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.

• CONCEPT SELECTION (REQUIRED): Please select which of the four concepts your pitch will be based on.
  
  
• TREATMENT (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what's going to happen in the video. If it's helpful to you, we've provided a treatment template, which you can find here.
  
  
• SCRIPT (Optional): This should include dialogue from the video you intend to create.
  
  
• STORYBOARDS (Optional): Additional concept art, storyboards, shot list, anything that helps get your point across. You can download the Tongal storyboard template here.
  
  
• PITCH VIDEO (Optional): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show them 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. For some examples of effective Pitch videos, check out this gallery. All Pitches will remain private until after the Sponsor gives creator(s) the green light to move forward.

The most compelling pitch will be greenlit, and upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment, the responsible creator will receive funding. Please note: the 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.

• SCRIPT: This project requires script approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your script and ask you to submit a new version. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until a script is approved by the Sponsor.
  
  
• STORYBOARD: This project requires storyboard approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your storyboard and ask you to submit a new version.
  
  
• HEADSHOT: This project requires headshot approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. You must submit at least two actor options per role. If the Sponsor does not approve either of your options for a role, you may be asked to submit two new actor options.
  
  
• LOCATION: This project requires location approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. This means you will need to submit multiple images of your primary filming location. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your location and ask you to submit additional photos or to find a new location and submit images for that.

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.

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.

1. 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 your submission be greenlit, 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. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
    
    
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, greenlit Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their 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 earnings.
    
    
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.