Have you ever wanted to see how your handles compare to a real NBA point guard or prove just how lightning quick your shot release really is? The Spalding/94Fifty “smart” basketball will allow you to do just that!

The Spalding/94Fifty “smart” basketball contains state of the art sensors that measure and track your performance.  It comes with built-in training tips, skill tests and social competitions that are designed to relentlessly improve your skills. 

The Spalding/94Fifty tracks your performance in a few key ways – dribble force, dribble accuracy, shot arc, shot backspin and shot release time – then, it reports the results immediately to your iOS or Android device through the Spalding/94Fifty app. You can even take on other Spalding/94Fifty “smart” basketball owners to see how you stack-up against your friends on the court, NBA idols and peers around the world. 

You’ve probably heard that “the ball don’t lie,” well, the Spalding/94Fifty actually CAN’T.

The goal of this project is to create a suite of a fast paced 30-60 second videos that will make every kid feel like they must have the Spalding/94Fifty “smart” basketball - because it’s just that cool!  Videos should find a clever way to portray the product’s innovative features and leave the viewer thinking that the Spalding/94Fifty is not only for fun but also essential to player development.

The focus of the videos should be centered on the ability to measure and track player’s skill levels in a totally objective and scientific way to eliminate player excuses forever!

The Spalding/94Fifty has an indoor composite leather cover and comes in two sizes: the 29.5” model for men’s play and the 28.5” model for women’s and youth play. Please note that videos must feature the indoor model of the Spalding/94Fifty smart basketball only.

Here are some of the Spalding/94Fifty's incredible features:

• Instant feedback - shot by shot or every dribble

• 50 different head-to-head competition choices

• Skill-based leveling workouts that get more difficult as you improve

• QuickTrain shot analyzer for shot speed, shot arc, and backspin

• QuickTrain ball-handling for power dribbling, speed dribbling, and off-hand dribbling

• Works with Android 4.0 and greater and iOS 5.0.5

• Stores workout and competition history for up to 4 players for 3 months

• Wireless recharging and up to 8 hours of battery life

• Up to 90 ft. range from hand held

The Spalding/94Fifty also comes loaded with an app that has four dynamic functions that will help bring your game to the next level:

Quick Train

Quickly train your skills with instant feedback from the app on your shot speed, shot arc, backspin, power dribbling and more.

Workout

Workout mode gives you 50 challenges over 4 different levels for shooting and ball-handling. Track your history. Get better.

Compete

Compete head-to-head against anyone, anywhere. Up to 4 Players can be in a competition. Choose from over 40 drills to compete.

Challenge

Use Twitter to join competitions against anyone in the world.

--Key Marketing Messages:  “The ball don’t lie.”  The Spalding/94Fifty “smart” basketball measures every movement of the ball and provides instant, objective feedback about player’s skills along with providing goals to help players improve their shooting and ball handling.

--Target Audience: Males and Females ages 9 to 18. 

--Executional Mandatory: Videos must feature The Spalding/94Fifty basketball and its ability to help young basketball players develop and improve their skills.

--Tone: The Spalding brand is not portrayed as “cool” or trendy, but is an authentic maker of innovative products. The brand’s image of respectability and historic association are core to the value portrayed. While being “Best in the world,” does sell, Spalding would like to reach out to younger players with more force and freshness to remain top of mind.

Spalding is not silly, flashy, hyped, glitzy or overblown…Spalding is authentic.

On the other hand, this product is targeted at youth and must be relevant to younger consumers. Honest and charmed, historic yet currently relevant, aspirational but within reach, scientifically engineered…these all apply.

--Exposure: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and possibly fan based forums and blogs.

This project will be worth a total of $25,000 and consist of three 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 Spalding/94Fifty “smart” basketball 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 two winning Idea creators will receive $250 and a 5% one-time residual payment for the winning Video their Idea is used to generate. (That means if your winning Idea is the basis for the 1st place Video, you will receive $650, for the 2nd place video you’ll receive $325 and for the 3rd place video you’ll receive $150) – see Video Phase Payout details below.

PHASE 2: PITCH – Using text (500 characters or less), images (storyboards), video, and external links (to other supporting assets, i.e., your reel, etc.), give us your Pitch (What Is a Pitch Phase?)  for how YOU would go about producing a 30-60 second video based on the information contained herein. The TWO most compelling Pitches will be selected and will each receive $1,000 each to help create their Video.  Those winners (upon submitting their Winner's Affidavit and IP Assignment) will also be GUARANTEED a winning place in the subsequent Video Phase.  So, if your Pitch is selected and you submit a video during the Video Phase, you will win an additional $3,000, at a minimum, and have a chance to compete for the $13,000 first place Video prize.  Remember, your Pitch can include any, and all, of the assets mentioned above and you MUST include a link to some of your previous video work on Tongal or elsewhere to be considered for this phase.  For an example of an effective pitch, check out Erik Beck’s winning “3 Artists & 5,000 LEGOs” Pitch. All Pitches will remain private until after the winners of the Video Phase are announced and the Project is complete.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING THE BASKETBALLS: The Spalding/94Fifty basketball won't be available to the public until this fall and we are receiving a very limited number of samples. One ball will be provided to each Pitch winner. In addition, a select number of Wild Card producers will have access to a ball. ALL producers including Pitch winners are required to return them.

PHASE 3: VIDEO – The TWO winners from the Pitch Phase will each create a 30-60 second video based upon their winning Pitches, and all other creators are invited to enter a “Wild Card” (What Is a Wildcard?) submission that is based on one of the 2 winning Ideas.  The Judges will score all Wild Card Videos and the one (1) highest scoring Wild Card Video and the 2 winning Videos submitted by Pitch winners will be scored to determine the standings for the Video Phase.  Remember, the TWO Pitch winners, along with one non-Pitch Video creator, will receive prizes.

--Video Phase Payout: Winners of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: 1st place $13,000, 2nd place $6,500, 3rd place $3,000.

--Music: Tongal has partnered with Audiosocket, a boutique music licensing and technology company representing more than 2,400 emerging bands, composers and record labels. This is not "stock" music. It is an inventory of more than 40,000 original, culturally relevant songs and music that have been compiled into a premium roster.  Audiosocket's music will be available to Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into Tongal members' submissions to this Project.  Tongal members are encouraged to browse the Audiosocket roster, available by clicking on the "Audiosocket" button on the right hand side of this page. If you are interested in using a track from the Audiosocket roster, as described above, just add the track(s) you want to use to your cart using the "+cart" button, then click the "checkout" button.  Enter the Tongal project name and click the "purchase and download" button to acquire the track for free ($0.00). Lastly, click the "download track" button, which will initiate the music file download. You may only use THREE Audiosocket tracks maximum as part of your video submission. 

1. Videos MUST not exceed 60 seconds in length. Preferred format 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.

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, 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. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of the makers of the Spalding/94Fifty “smart” basketball.

5. Submissions must not portray Spalding or 94Fifty® in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with the makers of Spalding/94Fifty “smart” basketball®.

6. You will be judged on how well you satisfy the factors contained in the Project Objectives pages, in the judges' sole discretion.

7. Videos must be in the English language.

8. Limit 5 submission(s) per member, per phase.

9. Minimum 50 Pitches, or the contest will repost for 14 days.

10. Sponsor will be entitled to one reasonable round of 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.

11. 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 copy of a photo ID for all On-camera Talent releases. You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a QuickTime .mov file in uncompressed, Animation or ProRes HQ codec at 1920x1080 to claim your prize.

12. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES SOLELY THE PROPERTY OF TONGAL – 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 WEB SITE 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.

13. 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.