Background

BLOCK ADVISORS: Block Advisors, a part of H&R Block, helps lighten the load for small business owners and the self-employed with expert tax preparation and other relevant services – so you feel confident and at ease.

 

VIDEO THEMES + PRE-APPROVED COPY OPTIONS: H&R Block has provided four pre-approved copy lines. You may choose which copy to pitch against for each of your four videos, as well as how you'd convey each through at least one scenario option. For each, consider how VO, supers, or a mix of both can help elevate your videos and ensure that they're eye-catching and grab the attention of small business owners scrolling on TikTok.

 


REFERENCE VIDEOS:

Objectives

Running a small business is a complex endeavor, and that's before tax season descends with its own myriad complications. If you're a small business owner or self-employed, you should know about Block Advisors from H&R Block. Through personalized help and SMB expertise, Block Advisors helps lighten the load for small business owners and the self-employed with expert tax preparation and other relevant services, maximizing your small business tax deductions and guaranteeing accurate tax returns for your small business, all at a competitively affordable price.


This fast-moving project from H&R Blocks seeks to create awareness for Block Advisors with small business owners on TikTok, educating them on who Block Advisors are and how they can help small businesses thrive. To do this, you'll create four :10 vertical videos for TikTok that each bring a core Block Advisors talking point to life in a snappy, eye-catching, and digestible way. You can do this in a first-person POV, with talent speaking directly to camera, or in a more traditional portrait style approach, but your videos need to look and feel premium and appeal to small business owners with ambitious, serious goals, while still speaking to the TikTok audience.


Because this project is moving really quickly – your videos must be mastered & delivered by Wednesday 12/7 – H&R Block is providing four pre-approved copy options for each of the four videos for you to pitch against. In your pitch, you must identify which copy option you intend to produce against for each video and provide at least one scenario option to bring that video/copy to life. 


The video themes, pre-approved copy options, and some reference videos for style are included in the Background, so be sure to give that a solid read-through before pitching. For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

 

DELIVERABLES: Four :10 TikTok videos (9x16)

 

TIMELINE: Click HERE for the extremely expedited timeline.

 

EXPOSURE:  TikTok, organic and paid. Potential use on IG Reels as well. Please review the platform best practices page.

 

TARGET AUDIENCE: Self-proprietors/small business owners without an existing business entity; 25+

 

TONE: Optimistic, insightful, assuring, educational, supportive.

 

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

 

By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a pitch. Though most projects on our platform do move forward with a greenlit pitch, we will notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any pitches via the project forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and the project team.

 

Shooting live action or stop motion? Our priority is ensuring everyone's safety, so please review our COVID-19 Production Safety Guide and check federal, state, and local rules before and during your shoot to make sure your on-set protocols are up to date. We're working hard to keep people working during this extraordinary time, and you should ensure your submission is executable within the anticipated timeline and budget, while also ensuring everyone's safety.

Details

In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your pitch submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.

 

Requirements

  1. 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 your submission be greenlit, 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. You may not contact any employees or members of the Sponsor’s organization, their affiliates, or any of their partners. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your entry in the project.

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

  7. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor.
     
  8. 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.
     
  9. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.
     
  10. Limit 5 submissions per member, per Phase.
     
  11. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.

  12. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, greenlit Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their 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 earnings.

  16. 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.