For 25 years, Annie's has been nourishing families with simple, down-to-earth food that tastes great. The company was founded back in 1989 to give families delicious food made with real ingredients and today, they offer more than 125 natural and organic products. From macaroni & cheese to Cheddar Bunnies, yummy frozen pizza to salad dressing, you probably remember the first time you had Annie's - and fell in love with this fun-loving company. 

Because Annie's is so darn delicious, it's become a family name. You grew up with Annie's, and now you're sharing Annie's Homegrown goodness with YOUR kids. Beyond feeling great about filling tummies with simple, nourishing foods, you know you can feel doubly good about the socially and environmentally responsible mission behind the brand. When your kids are begging for bunnies, you can feel good about backing a company with a conscience.  

This year Annie's is turning 25 and they need your help to make a Video that CELEBRATES ANNIE'S! Here’s your opportunity to show your love for Annie’s and shout it from the rooftops. Help us spread the word about the delicious foods, the fun and whimsical spirit, and the socially responsible mission that makes Annie’s Homegrown so easy to love!

Annie’s needs YOU to create a 30 - 90 second Video (with a 15 to 30 second cut down if you’re selected as a winner) that celebrates Annie’s. The creative is wide open – go ahead and make an authentic docu-style short, create a whimsical narrative, or even animate a piece, so long as your Video shares the goodness of Annie’s. 

For reference on what Annie’s has done in the past, check out some of their YouTube content here:

• Mac and Cheese Pizza

• Lexi’s Story

• All for Good

--Key Marketing Messages: Annie’s is an authentic mission-driven brand and has been committed to making real food that tastes great for 25 years.

• Real Food Tastes Better.

• Good and Good.

Core Annie’s Values:

• Authenticity, transparency and trust

• Great taste, with simple & clean ingredients

• Agricultural and environmental sustainability

• Social responsibility

• Honesty, fairness, integrity, and respect

--Target Audience: Families with kids age 2-12 who eat healthy and pay attention to nutrition.

--Executional Mandatories: Do not show competitor products. Do not depict Annie or animate Bernie the bunny. Do not use the words: natural, healthy, healthier, unprocessed.

--Tone: Honest, wholesome, warm, approachable, whimsical. NOT sappy, slap-stick or judgmental.

--Exposure: Intended for digital, social and PR use. If you really knock it out of the park, there might be a digital ad buy to support the Videos.

--Product: You don’t need to show Annie’s product, but if you want to, please feature Annie’s Shells and White Cheddar (Purple Box) and/or Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies. The product can be in the background; it does not need to be in the forefront and it should feel organically integrated into your story.

Limited samples are available and will be provided to Pitch Winners and also to Wildcard creators on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Please email lucy@tongal.com for product requests.

--Video Judging Criteria: After the top 4 Video finalists are selected, the top Videos will become available for public voting through the Tongal website. Public voting will be a factor to help determine the final rank order.

This Project will be worth a total of $45,000 and consists 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 the Celebrate Annie’s Video 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 $250 each and a 5% one-time residual payment for any winning Videos based on their Idea. (That means if your winning Idea is the basis for the 1st place Video, you will receive $850, the 2nd place Video $450, the 3rd place Video $375, the 4th place Video $300) – 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 summarizing how you plan to approach and execute this Video.
• Links (REQUIRED): To your previous video work, showreel, etc.
• Images (Optional): Additional concept art, storyboards, scripts, casting notes, anything that helps get your point across.?
• 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 THREE (3) most compelling Pitches will be selected and, upon submitting the Winner’s Affidavit and the IP Assignment, will each receive $1,500 to help create the Video.  Additionally, upon submitting a Video that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch, the Pitch winners 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 $6,000, at a minimum, and have a chance to compete for the $17,000 First Place Video prize (subject to deduction for one-time 5% residual payment to eligible Idea winners). For an example of an effective Pitch, check out Erik Beck’s 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 THREE (3) winners from the Pitch Phase will each create a 30 - 90 second Video based upon their winning Pitch. All other creators are invited to enter a Wildcard (What Is a Wildcard?) submission that can be based on one of the winning Ideas from the previous Phase or a totally original concept that is not based on any winning material from the Idea Phase.  The Judges will score all Wildcard submissions and the ONE (1) highest scoring Wildcard Video along with the THREE (3) winning Videos submitted by Pitch winners will be scored to determine the standings for the Video Phase.  Remember, the THREE (3) Pitch winners, along with ONE (1) Wildcard creator, will receive prizes.

If you are a Pitch Winner OR if your Wildcard Video is selected as a Winner in the final Video Phase, you will also create an additional 15 to 30 second cutdown of your winning Video.

--Video Phase Payout: Winners of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: 1st place $17,000; 2nd place $9,000, 3rd place $7,500 and 4th place $6,000 (less any 5% one-time residual payments paid to the Idea winners, as applicable).

--Music: Tongal has partnered with three premiere music providers: Audiosocket, Killer Tracks and Music Dealers. Any of which can be used to source music for your Video submission to this Project. You may use up to THREE total tracks per Video submission, and they can come from any of the three providers listed above. 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. That’s a potential $1,625 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 Video MUST not exceed 90 seconds in length. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website is HD 720p 16x9. Should you win, you will also be required to provide a 1080p master file. 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 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. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.

8. Limit 5 submissions per member, per Phase.

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

10. In the event that fewer than 35 Pitches are received, the Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest for up to fourteen (14) days at their discretion.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.