Nat Geo WILD wants to kick SharkFest up a notch with a provocative campaign Concept for a marketing stunt or framework that takes this summer’s campaign in a wild new direction.

Just so we’re on the same page, sharks are awesome (jawsome?), and the best time of the year isn’t some holiday or championship game: the BEST time of the year is a can’t-miss TV event about sharks. It is, in fact, one of the only things that the entire internet can agree on. We laugh, we love, we cringe, we cry. We watch scientists and sea lions plunge into the deep like they’re not afraid to die... but when there’s blood in the water, we know why.

Fascinating and terrifying like nothing else, no single night of programming contains this TV feeding frenzy. Summer is shark season.

This is where you come in. In the past, Nat Geo WILD has embraced a playful rivalry with their sharkbait comrades, Discovery's SharkWeek, and the central concept has been a clever riff on the idea that "We're #2!", inspiring hilarious spots like THIS and THIS, and driving all of their print and digital promos. That first spot, with Ryan Lochte, played on the fact that SharkWeek claimed they were going to race Michael Phelps against a shark. For 2018, WILD's looking to kick things up a notch with a really provocative new campaign that will drive viewers to SharkFest. Does that mean they keep up the joke about being #2? Or do they go in a brand new direction? Do they even invite comparison to SharkWeek? That’s all up to you to figure out.

Nat Geo WILD needs a buzzworthy Concept for some kind of marketing stunt or provocative framework that’s going to take this campaign somewhere truly awesome. That means this is more than a commercial - it will still certainly inspire original video content, but it's also going to inspire print, digital, and social extensions. No two ways about it, you've got to think big.

Check out more details below...

The goal of this project is to develop a provocative Concept for some kind of marketing stunt or framework that Nat Geo WILD can use to kick off this summer’s SharkFest campaign. You need to come up with something they can do that will get people talking. Think big, think wild. Think funny - people remember funny. Nat Geo’s past campaigns should show you that you can be irreverent and disruptive, so don’t hold back. If you’re going to get people excited about SharkFest, you need to make a lasting impression.

There are three major creative considerations to take in mind when you develop an approach:

• The rivalry – Because Nat Geo WILD has embraced its rivalry with SharkWeek before, they’re open to Concepts that revolve around that, and it’s rich creative territory – but you have to be tactful and clever.  It’s not mandatory, however, to bring up the rivalry.
• Being #2 – Owning their position as #2 has provided for great material in the past, and it has a lot of potential, but if you keep it up, you have to be fresh and surprising. You have to create something compelling enough that Nat Geo WILD will be convinced to keep selling itself as #2.
• Novelty – An exciting new concept could redefine Nat Geo WILD’s whole approach, but it has to be splashy and it has to be something that they can expand upon.

Remember, don't limit yourselves to video – this is more than a commercial. The campaign's Concept provides something that's going to drive messaging and content on multiple platforms, although it could certainly lead to a series of videos, or involve a single big stunt that’s covered in a variety of ways. Your Concept could redefine SharkFest’s whole positioning!

--Key Takeaway: SharkFest is legit! Nat Geo Wild knows their s#!t, and SharkFest is going to be a lot of fun.  

--Target Audience: Don’t think of the traditional National Geographic or Wild audience – go big and broad and aim to connect with the kind of people who are going to be driving the conversation on social platforms.

--Tone: Irreverent, fun, funny, self-aware, provocative, maybe even snarky. You need to make a splash and be a part of the cultural conversation.

--Exposure: Concepts may be used to inspire content on any platform, including television and National Geographic’s digital and social channels. If your concept is designed for a specific platform, let us know.

This Project will be worth a total of $1,500 and consists of 1 Phase: a Concept Phase. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: CONCEPT – Give us a Concept for a marketing stunt or provocative theme for National Geographic’s summer SharkFest campaign in 250 characters or less. Remember, a Concept is not a detailed script; it is a spark of inspiration.

The THREE (3) winning Concept creators will receive $500 each.

1. 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.

2. BY SUBMITTING AN 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.

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

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

5. 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.

6. Limit 5 submissions per member.

7. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or old to enter.

8. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest at their discretion.

9. Winners must submit the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment.

10. 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.