Create a 30-second TV spot with a 60-second extended digital version that shows tennis is cool for families, kids, and players of all skill levels.

When people think of tennis they often have thoughts of professionals like Roger Federer or Serena Williams blistering serves, hitting breathtaking shots, and hoisting huge trophies in front of adoring fans. Beyond its superstars there’s something inherently more impactful about this incredible sport. Tennis is a game that exercises both the body and mind. It can be highly competitive or it can be just a couple of friends casually hitting it back and forth. It’s a sport you can play throughout your life and with over 250,000 courts in the United States it’s accessible to most who want to play. Plus, the sport has entirely changed — smaller, lighter racquet options, lower bouncing balls and new ways to play on court make it easy to learn and even more fun since you can play the way you want.

Tennis does suffer from some common misperceptions though. Common complaints include that it’s too difficult, too serious, not inclusive, elitist and not cool or fun. This is exactly why the United States Tennis Association (USTA) is turning to the Tongal community, they want you to help change this perception and show what a fun and awesome activity tennis is.

The USTA’s mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from local communities to the professional game. It is a not-for-profit organization that (from US Open revenue) gives back millions of dollars each year to a variety of grassroots initiatives. Beyond what the USTA oversees and its mission, the organization has been charged with creating a campaign that works to reposition the sport in consumers’ minds by highlighting and showcasing the breadth and many benefits of tennis.

Now we want you to come up with a spot that embodies all the great things about tennis and gets people out on the courts! Please read the remainder of the brief for all of the important details.

The goal of this project to create a 30-second TV commercial along with a 60-second extended version for digital that shows the benefits of tennis (outlined below.)  For inspiration please check out these two spots for United States Baseball and the United States Golf Association. While it’s not required to follow the format of these spots, communicating the inclusiveness of tennis and the many benefits of the game in a fun and interesting way is absolutely essential. It’s critical that the youth or youth/family segment is prioritized especially in the 30-second execution.

NOTE: For Producers thinking of pitching on this project please see the Additional Information for Filmmakers section at the bottom of this page.

--Key Marketing Message: The game has changed. Tennis is cool. It has endless benefits for families, kids, and players of all ages and skill levels.

The key benefits that the USTA would like to convey are:

• A game you can play for a lifetime – all ages and levels.
• It’s social and can be played with friends.
• The equiment - raquets, courts and balls have been overhauled to better suit players and the way they choose to play the game, whether it is to master proper techniques or play casualy with family and friends. 
• It’s a great way for families to bond and spend quality time together. Kids, parents and granparents can enjoy rallying together on the tennis court or other places like the driveway, yard, etc.
• It has numerous health (physical and mental) benefits. 
• It’s FUN!

--Target Audience:

• Primary audience: Thirty something parents with children 5–12 years old.
• Secondary audience: Young professionals 22 years of age or older.

--Executional Mandatories:

• Families with kids ages 5-12 and players of varying gender, ethnicities, sizes wearing variety of clothes - athletic, casual street, not just typical tennis clothes.
• Non-branded equipment, clothing, sneakers, etc. No logos visible.
• Showcase smaller court dimensions, foam and low compression tennis balls, smaller racquets.
• Show tennis being played in a variety of places and settings.
• Make cultural queues that would resonate with this audience – i.e. through technology/social media/apps, music, clothing, etc.
• Do not show people hitting balls at each other. We want imagery of people having fun playing the actual game.
• Being mindful of adult/coach and player interaction while potentially instructing – no touching.

--Tone: Inspiring, fresh, authentic, modern, relevant, accessible, inclusive, and energetic.

--Exposure: The goal is for the spot to air starting in July during the Emirates Airline US Open Series on ESPN/ESPN2. The campaign would continue to air during the US Open on ESPN and ESPN2 as well as through any additional paid media buys.

**ADDITIONAL INFORMATON FOR FILMMAKERS**

• The Pitch winner will be required to get headshot and script approval from the sponsor prior to shooting. In addition, there will be an extra round of revisions.

• The 30-second video and 60-second extended versions are both due at the close of the Video Phase. Please upload them as separate videos when submitting your Videos.

This Project will be worth a total of $70,000 and consists of 3 Phases: a Concept Phase, a Pitch Phase and a Video Phase. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: CONCEPT  – Tell us your Concept for a USTA TV commercial in 250 characters or less. Remember, a Concept is not a detailed script; it is a spark of inspiration, or a distillation of what will happen in the Video.  As always, Concepts should be clever and engaging.  The winning Concept creators will receive $250 each and a 5% one-time residual payment for any winning Video based on their Idea. (That means if your winning Idea is the basis for the 1st place Video you will receive $1731.25] – see Video Phase Payout details for more information.

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.
• Treatment (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what's going to happen in the video. 
• 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.
• Headshots/Casting Boards (Optional): Casting notes or concepts, headshots of actors, etc.
• 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 each receive $34,625 to help create their Videos.  Additionally, upon submitting Videos that satisfy the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch and completing the necessary revisions, the Pitch winner will be paid an additional $34,625 (subject to deduction for one-time 5% residual payment to the eligible Concept winner). 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 30-second video along with 60-second extended based upon their winning Pitch.

NOTE: The 30 and 60-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:  Upon deliver of the final revised files the Pitch winner will be paid $34,625 (less any 5% one-time residual payments paid to the Concept winner, as applicable).

--Music:  Tongal has partnered with two premiere music providers: Audioblocks and Epidemic Sound for this project. 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.

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). That’s a potential $500 in bonus cash just for telling all of your talented friends about this Project! Check out more about our Referral Program in FAQ.

1. The Videos MUST not exceed 30 and 60 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 25 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 two rounds of 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.