We live under the constant threat of invasion…

Spiders, ants, bees, mice and other pests want to enter our home and ruin our health and happiness.

Dow is launching GREAT STUFF™ Pestblock, a new product that seals small gaps and cracks with a foam sealant formulated with a bitter ingredient to deter pests and rodents.

So how does this pest-prohibiting border patrol work? Dow GREAT STUFF™ is a polyurethane-based insulating foam sealant that fills, air-seals and insulates small gaps (less than 1 inch) inside or out. It’s easy it is to use (thanks to the straw applicator) and it expands to take the shape of gaps and cracks to form a durable, airtight, and water-resistant bond that eliminates unwanted airflow and helps reduce condensation. GREAT STUFF™ Pestblock adds a bitter ingredient that deters pests and rodents without the pesticides that typically only address the pests visible at the time of application. It is also beneficial to those homeowners sensitive to the use of pesticides, those who don’t want to use pesticides around their family or pets, and individuals who don’t use pesticides because of environmental concerns.

GREAT STUFF™ Pestblock will be available at many home improvement stores across the United States starting in Spring 2012. To read more about GREAT STUFF™ Pestblock visit: http://greatstuff.dow.com/products/pestblock/.

Dow is looking for creative, fun & entertaining ways to show how Dow GREAT STUFF™ Pestblock blocks pests. Be creative! Dow is looking for live action or animated shorts that feature heroes, heroines, pests, actors, documentaries, fantasies, “reality TV”, comedy or horror stories from both the prevention (home protection) or reactive (home invasion) perspectives.

Feel free to use any medium, style or approach, keeping in mind that the main goal of this campaign is to create awareness for this product by highlighting its primary benefits in a cool and engaging way.

--Primary Benefits:

 • Blocks entry of pests, such as spiders, ants, bees, and mice, which can damage the house and its contents.

 • Contains no pesticides and is pet-friendly (it is also beneficial to those homeowners sensitive to the use of pesticides, those who don’t want to use pesticides around their family or pets, and individuals who don’t use pesticides because of environmental concerns).

 • Contains a bitter, non-pesticide ingredient, Denatonium Benzoate, an additive that has been used for years to make a variety of products, such as electrical wire casing, that deter pests and other animals.

 • Forms a long-lasting, airtight and water-resistant barrier.

 • Helps improve the home's energy efficiency by sealing gaps and cracks.

 • Interior or exterior use.

 • Easy to use and tack-free in 10-15 minutes.

 • Bonds with most building materials and surfaces.

 • Paintable, stainable and sand able.

 • Budget-friendly: One 12 oz. can seals the equivalent of up to 19 tubes of caulk.

--Target Audience: Homeowners and landlords who are either looking to protect their home or have recently suffered a pest invasion.

--Exposure: Videos may be featured on www.greatstuff.dow.com, www.Facebook.com/dowgreatstuff, spread throughout twitter, YouTube and other public-facing websites in both paid and unpaid placement. They may also be included in internal and external company emails and live company events.

This project will be worth a total of $25,000 and consist of three phases. Also, this tournament style process will progress differently from previous projects, so be sure to read the following information carefully.

PHASE 1: IDEA - Tell us your Idea for a 30-90 second video in 140 characters or less. Remember, an Idea is not a detailed script; it is a tweet-sized spark of inspiration, or a distillation of what will happen in the Video. As always, Ideas should be clever and engaging. Winning Idea creators will each receive $250 and a 5% residual payment for every winning video their Idea is used to generate.

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 for how YOU would go about producing a live action or animated short based on one of the winning Ideas from the previous phase. You can also tell a real-life story or create one all to explain the benefits of GREAT STUFF™ Pestblock. The four most compelling Pitches will be selected and will receive a $500 production budget and Dow GREAT STUFF™ products to create their Video. Those winners (upon submitting their Winner's Affidavit and IP Assignment) will also be GUARANTEED to place in the subsequent Video Phase. So, if your Pitch is selected, you will earn a minimum of $1,500 with a 1-in-5 shot at the $10,000 first place video prize. Remember your Pitch can include any, and all, of the assets mentioned above, but 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 Sean Clark’s winning Benjamin Moore “Find Your Perfect Color” Pitch. To avoid information cascades, all Pitches will remain private until after the video winners of the subsequent phase are announced. Alternatively, even if you don’t win the Pitch Phase or choose not to create a pitch, you will still have the opportunity to create a “Wild Card” Video completely of your own creative devices in the subsequent Phase. 

PHASE 3: VIDEO - Winning Pitch creators from the previous phase will utilize their $500 advance to create a 30-90 second video based upon their winning materials and all other creators are invited to enter a “Wild Card” submission. Whether you're submitting a video based on your winning pitch or a Wildcard, be sure to use GREAT STUFF™  Work Wipes when demonstrating the use of GREAT STUFF™ Pestblock in your video, which are designed to remove excess uncured foam. For more information, visit: http://greatstuff.dow.com/products/work-wipes/. Alternatively, if you are creating an animation, please note the foam itself is grey not yellow when dispensed. Remember, the FOUR Pitch winners are GUARANTEED cash prize as is one of the wild card submitters.

--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 the Pestblock 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. 

1. Videos MUST not exceed 90 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. Submissions should reference only the Dow GREAT STUFF™ products featured in the Brief.

4. Video must include an end bumper with the copy “Keep insects and pests out and improve energy efficiency. Visit www.DowGreatStuff.com.”

5. 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.

6. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of The Dow Chemical Company.

7. Submissions must not portray Dow or Dow GREAT STUFF™ in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with The Dow Chemical Company.

8. Videos must be in the English language.

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

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

11. 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.

12. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, and Music Releases for all assets appearing in the video as well as the project files, editing sequence and an uncompressed quicktime .mov file in either Animation or ProRes 422 codecs at either 1920x1080 or 1280x720 to claim their prize.

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.