Battle of the ads

REQUIREMENTS

• Your commercial must be no longer than 30 seconds to maximum 1 minute in length
• Your commercial must be submitted in MP4 format (No YouTube links)
• Your commercial must include the JA Central Ontario logo somewhere – please make sure you use the correct logo found here.
• You must have the copyrights/permissions to use any audiovisuals (music, photos, videos) in your commercial (either using your own originals or using royalty-free or paid options)
• All persons who appear in your video must have provided consent

---

JUDGING

Judges will score based on the following:

• Does the video follow all guidelines? (i.e. length, JA logo requirements)
• Does the video feature the following: branding, target market, call to action, product features, value proposition, and emotional connection?
• How well the does the video draw in the viewer and keep their attention?
• Is the video original and innovative?
• What is the overall quality and execution of the commercial? (including visuals & audio)

---

OVERVIEW

Review the guidelines and tips below on how to develop and create your commercial.

Step 1: Create an Outline

Create an outline for your commercial using the criteria below.

Branding

• What are you selling?
• What are your company’s values?
• Your commercial should reflect your brand’s voice and ideals.
• Think about colour schemes, themes and images that represent your brand

Target Audience

• Who is your audience?
• Consider demographics (age, gender, income, occupation, etc.), geographics, psychographics (personality, lifestyle, motivation, attitudes) and behavioural (buyer readiness, product loyalty)

Competitive Advantage

• What sets you apart from the competition?
• What are your product features?
• What is the thing about your product or service that is unique, different, interesting, special, distinctive, uncommon, one-of-a-kind, rare, quirky and exceptional?​

---

Step 2: Develop Your Story

Based on your outline created, brainstorm a commercial idea. The commercial should showcase your company and your product. It should also outline the product benefits and be clear who you are targeting.

A good commercial will use a combination of:

• Humour
• Catchy tagline
• Memorable character(s)
• Emotional pull

Tips:

• Focus on one key idea or message
• Keep your story simple and easy to follow

Consider the following:

• Is it simple?
• Is it entertaining? (Funny, dramatic, captivating, interesting)
• Is the product or service clear?
• Is it memorable?
• Is it easy to understand?
• What makes it unique?
• Is it original? (Doesn’t feel like we’ve seen it before)
• Does it hit a nerve?
• Is it insightful?
• Is it timely?

---

Step 3: Storyboard and Script

Storyboard and write out your script before filming. Be realistic about what you can accomplish!

• A storyboard is a sequence of drawings that represent the shots that are planned for your commercial.
• A storyboard will help you plan out your story and visualize each scene/shot – you add in notes and directions to help you and your team stay organized.
• Developing a script will help you tell your story. Keep your script simple, brief and direct and make sure you have a clear call to action

Think about:

• Location – where will your commercial take place (in one room or multiple locations?)
• Lighting – what kind of mood do you want to convey with your lighting?
• Sound – what music will you use? Will you have a voice over? What other sounds will you need?
• Camera Shots – Will you use close ups, action shots, montages, background shots, and/or animations?

---

Step 4: Film Your Commercial

You don’t need a fancy camera to film your commercial – a smartphone can record a high-quality video!

Tips:

• Try using a tripod if possible or stabilize your phone on a surface
• Make sure you have good lighting and choose a quiet location to ensure clear audio
• Shoot multiple takes
• Keep shots short

---

Step 5: Editing & Reviewing

There are many free tools you can use to edit your commercial (i.e. CapCut, Canva). Do some research and see what works best for your team.

Don’t forget to add elements such as:

• Text captions
• Music (double check the copyrights)
• Your company’s logo and slogan/tagline
• JA Central Ontario’s logo
• A Strong Call to Action!

Show your commercial to others for feedback:

• Is the message clear?
• Is it engaging?
• Is it memorable?

---

Plan ahead and make sure you have enough time to complete all the steps before submitting your commercial!