ABOUT CAVA & KEY PILLARS: Founded by three friends with Greek roots, CAVA is built on a foundation of Mediterranean hospitality and a passion for incredible, accessible food. While many competitors offer a transactional, freezer-to-fryer experience, CAVA is focused on a full culinary experience delivered with speed and purpose. To help you build your concept, here are the key pillars that set the brand apart:

• Premium Ingredients, Prepared Fresh: CAVA’s kitchens are buzzing with real cooking. Meats are grilled, vegetables are chopped, and dressings and juices are made in-house, from scratch, every single day. This includes craveable, CAVA-only items like their spicy Crazy Feta Dip and savory lamb meatballs that guests can't replicate at home.
• A Culinary Adventure, Your Way: This is where abundance comes to life. Every guest can build a personal bowl or pita with generous customization, including up to 12 high-quality toppings at no extra charge. This isn't just a meal; it's an expression of individual taste.
• The Feel-Good Effect: CAVA offers bold flavors and real nourishment that leave you feeling amazing, not weighed down and full of regret. It's the perfect antidote to the heavy feeling of fast food.

In today's world of endless options for a quick meal, many restaurants compete on price alone, defaulting to aggressive deals where the cheapest option is seen as the best value. CAVA, the fast casual Mediterranean restaurant concept, is different. They're anchored by a belief that true value isn't found in a low price tag, but in the substantial and delicious meal that you receive. It’s about a bowl packed with premium ingredients and generous toppings that delivers a satisfying experience that far outweighs a less fulfilling, cheaper alternative. CAVA wants more people to understand the particular value they offer with some paid social videos that feel refreshing, credible, and emotionally resonant. 

The goal of this project is to create a single resonant social-first video, up to :30, that builds awareness about CAVA, inspiring viewers to start visiting more often, and make CAVA a staple in their consideration set for where to eat. The video will be used for a paid media campaigns, primarily on Instagram and TikTok, so it needs to be thumb-stopping and relatable, and feel native to those platforms, connecting with viewers in a way that feels more like a discovery than an advertisement. To that end, we're not looking for a polished, traditional commercial, but something in more of a clever and elevated social style, maintaining a professional approach, but with the genuine and personal feel of content that you might catch in your close friends' feeds. Conceptually, the key is to set CAVA apart by defining its value not by a discount, but by championing a sense of abundance, and highlighting the substantial, high-quality meal you get for your money. 

Your video does not have to be filmed inside a CAVA restaurant, but that is an option if one is local to you. You can find the closest CAVA by visiting their locations page. If your concept requires filming in-restaurant, you'll work with the team in pre-production to help coordinate an approved location. If you already have one in mind, please include this in your pitch. The video could be shot on your phone, but should be captured with professional lighting and sound. In casting, we'll be looking for relatable talent within the Gen-Z or young Millennial target market, and want someone who is able to generate excitement with their on-screen (or behind-the-phone) energy.

You'll see several key communication pillars in the Background, but your creative approach doesn't have to tackle everything at once. Focus on strongly illustrating a specific element or feeling of CAVA's key differentiator. For example, you might take a pretty direct approach and just go to CAVA yourself to showcase exactly how you build your bowl, calling attention to the insane amount of toppings that you get on it — and how that lasts you two whole meals. Alternatively, you might lean into a metaphor or meme to capture that unique, energized feeling that you get after eating a CAVA bowl.  Don't feel limited to these thought starters, though, because we want to see variety and see unique takes on how to show CAVA as a singular, unique choice in a world of sameness.

For your pitch, know that we'll ultimately be producing 4 videos, each based on a different concept, and you'll primarily be submitting for a greenlight on just one of those. That said, you're encouraged to submit multiple, distinct concepts - either as a single pitch, or multiple, depending on just how distinct they are from each other - and CAVA is definitely open to selecting one creator to produce multiple videos.

 Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

DELIVERABLES: Up to four creators will each create 1 or more videos.

• One up to :30 Video (9x16, 1x1, 4x5)

EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE

EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used on the platforms below, but if casting talent, be sure they review our required Talent Release before they're cast, as we CANNOT guarantee that usage is limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices.

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

TARGET AUDIENCE:

• Gen-Z and young Millennials
• Budget conscious restaurant goers
• Healthy eaters

TONE/FEEL:

• Playful, but humble
• Rooted in the welcoming nature of Mediterranean hospitality
• Open to comedy

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

• Do NOT position CAVA as a discount brand or focus on price point. The goal is to champion the substantial value of the meal itself.
• You must follow brand guidelines, which will be provided upon greenlight.

In order to be considered, include the below materials in your submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery. All Pitches remain private, even after a Pitch is selected, and Tongal strives to have Pitch selections made by the end of the Evaluation period, but additional time may be required by the Sponsor, depending on any number of factors. Unless specifically requested, there's no need to include a budget with your submission.

• TEXT (REQUIRED): Up to 500 characters synopsizing how you plan to approach and produce the content listed in the Deliverables.
  
  
• TREATMENT (REQUIRED): A more detailed and specific description of how you propose to execute all of the content listed out in the Deliverables. Explain what we can expect to see, and how you'll make it. If it's helpful, we've provided a treatment template HERE.
  
  
• LINKS (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. Please specify your role (producer, director, editor, artist, etc.) but do not include links to your showreel. Please link to individual videos.

• PITCH VIDEO (Optional): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show what you're capable of. Consider a video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect, or consider test videos, proof-of-concept edits, animatics, etc. For examples of effective Pitch videos, check out this gallery.

1. 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. Tongal also reserves the right to request all raw files associated with the project.
   
   
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. 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.
   
   
5. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website is HD 720p and formatted for the aspect ratios listed in the Deliverables (e.g. 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.
   
   
6. 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.
   
   
7. 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.
   
   
8. 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 creator.
   
   
9. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.
   
   
10. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor, nor can Submissions contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.
    
    
11. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.
    
    
12. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
    
    
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.