Every Super Bowl feels like an event in the video contest community thanks to Doritos and its “Crash the Super Bowl” video contest tradition. While we are fans of football and the awesome commercials, none are as interesting as watching someone take home the 1st place trophy in low budget production fashion. For 2012, the vote was your hands.
There was, however, some buzz early in the contest when an entry went viral and didn’t even make the cut into the finals. Judge it HERE for yourself .
Without saying, the OFFICIAL FINALISTS do deserve credit for their entries as we feel they are some of the strongest we’ve seen in years. All of these entries have taken home $25,000, but only 1 can make its Super Bowl debut and has the chance to earn $1,000,000 if it hits #1 on the USA Today ad meter.
UPDATE: Doritos has decided to air 2 finalists! Congratulations to the winners and we will update if any more premiere.
UPDATE 2: “Man’s Best Friend” has scored #1 on the USA Today Ad Meter and has taken home the $1,000,000 grand prize! We couldn’t be happier for Friedman and hope to see some more work in the future.
UPDATE 3: “Sling Baby” has scored #1 on the Facebook USA Today Ad Meter and will also be taking home a $1,000,000 check. Great work to Wilson and we hope to see more next year!
MAN’S BEST FRIEND by Jonathon Friedman
Apparently Friedman spent only $20 on his commercial which basically paid for dog treats, a cat collar and a bag of Doritos. He bribed the dog take after take with treats until he got the shots he needed.
SLING BABY by Kevin Wilson
Willson, a former special education teacher, left his full time job in 2005 to pursue his dream of comedy film production. Looks like he’s taken a big step towards that goal. Great work!
If you hate taking your clothes to the dry cleaners, then you should probably try Dryel. It lets you safely dry clean your delicates in the comfort of your own home. I have never personally used the stuff, but it looks pretty legit. So what’s their video contest all about?
Dryel is asking for entries that showcase how their product “Freshens Your Swag” by laundering your favorite clothing. They want you to be creative and have fun, but also demonstrating the actual results of the product. Sounds easy right? Right!
You have the chance to win $3,000 for 1st place, $2,000 for 2nd and $1000 for 3rd. Easy money and a clean set of clothes? Get filming!
18+, 60 seconds-, Deadline: February 15th 2012
Brazilian beer maker Skol has joined forces with Poptent.net to bring you a creative and lucrative opportunity! The company is looking for videos that can play as entertaining TV ads for even viral videos. Skol has provided the following 2 products to work with:
Skol Litrao (New 1 Liter-Size Economic Bottle) – “So, if you could exchange something old and used for something new, what would it be? Or, what if the good things in life couldn’t be refilled?”
Skol 360 (New Anti-Bloating Formula) – “Skol 360 doesn’t make you feel bloated from drinking too much beer. What’s nice about drinking a beer that doesn’t make you feel bloated? Or what can’t you do when you’re bloated?”
Overall, they’re looking for some edgy, irreverent, good-humored, risk-taking film-makers to create something that you would want to share with your friends. Skol has committed to purchase at least 1 video for $10,000, but has already stated they would like to buy more so be sure to bring your “A” game and you could take home a nice hefty check!
18+, 90 seconds-, Deadline: March 15th 2012
Now’s your chance to tell a story YOUR way. Whether it’s a film, web-series episode, or TV pilot, YouTube is accepting entries for its “Your Festival” video contest.
The entries must be no more than 15 minutes and can be in any genre. In June, audiences around the world will vote for the best 10 entries who will then be sent off to 2012 Venice Film Festival where a grand prize winner will walk away with a $500,000 production grant and…oh yeah, Ridley Scott will be your producer! Check out the contest link below to get started!
18+, 15 minutes-, Deadline: March 31st 2012
Project Yellow Light is a scholarship competition designed to bring about change. It was created in honor of Hunter Garner, who tragically passed away in a car accident at only 16 years old. The foundation’s aim is to bring awareness to teens about safer driving. Car crashes are the top killers of teens in America and usually caused by reckless and distracted driving.
You can make a difference by participating in this contest. Your job is to create a video that delivers a clear message about embracing safer driving habits. Specifically: “Don’t text and drive.” You have a unique opportunity to play a key role in spreading this important message. You can speak to your peers on this subject in a way that adults cannot. The more lives you can impact, the more lives you can save.
The top video in this contest will receive a $2,000 scholarship and have his or her video used as the basis for a PSA for the Ad Council, which will be distributed nationally to over 1,600 television stations in May as part of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month.
Grade 12 Students, 30 – 60 seconds, Deadline: March 31st 2012
For over a decade, Tech Deck has allowed die hard skateboarders to miniaturize their tricks and take them almost anywhere they want! Mini skateboards are the solution to the “No Skating” problem. Now, Tech Deck is calling on you to create a video that demonstrates this idea. How does Tech Deck come to the rescue in places where skateboarding is NOT allowed?
There are a slew of cash awards for this assignment including an overall category winner who will receive $1,500! Be sure to visit the link below to view official rules and to get started. Happy filming!
14+, 60 seconds-, Deadline: April 2nd 2012
Founded in 1886, Hunter ceiling fans have set the standard in quality and craftsmanship for more than 125 years. They pride themselves on their products helping you transform your house into a stylish, comfortable, healthy home that looks and feels exactly the way you want it to.
Now, the company is also looking to help spread its brand awareness even further by enlisting you to create a video for them. The concept is completely open and up to you (tasteful humor, emotional, lifestyle focused and/or clever alternative approaches). Hunter just wants to make sure a central focus is geared toward making the video an informative piece that also generates an emotional connection between the brand and consumer.
They have agreed to purchase at least 1 video for $7,500. Good luck!
18+, 30 seconds, Deadline: February 1st 2012
Rapper 50 cent has launched what he’s calling the “Street King” movement to help hungry kids around the world. With the help of Chris Clarke, the entrepreneur behind Pure Growth Partners, he has created an energy drink called Street King. The product is aimed to provide focus and energy, but also has a another motive. For every bottle you buy, the company will feed a hungry child somewhere in the world. Pretty cool huh?
Now, Street King is looking for videos that show off the cool and positive ways you use your energy every day. There are 2 sample videos on the Facebook contest page to give you some inspiration. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 and a trip to NYC to meet 50 cent. The best part of all? 10,000 meals will also be donated in your name. Get filming!
18+, 60 seconds-, Deadline: January 27th 2012
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