Secret has created the “Mean Stinks” program to give girls the strength to be fearless when standing up against girl-to-girl meanness.

A lot of girls don’t know what girl-to-girl bullying looks like – it’s not the caricature of the big kid pushing the little kid around for his lunch money anymore. There are many ways that girls can be mean: face-to-face, psychologically (“If you don’t do what I want, I won’t be friends with you anymore.”), physically, via online/social media/text (“If you wouldn’t say it, don’t send it.”), etc.

So as we gear up for Back-to-School and Anti-Bullying Month in October, Secret wants to help girls identify what bullying looks like. More importantly, they want to reach out to girls who don’t think they can do something to stand up to it or who don’t feel like they have the tools or the courage to do so.

Requirements

1. The Video MUST not exceed 90 seconds in length. Preferred format is HD 720p 16×9. 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. 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.

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

5. Submissions must not portray Secret in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Secret.

6. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.

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

Eligibility

You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.

Judging Criteria

The goal of this project is to create a 30 to 90 second video that is emotionally resonant and raises awareness about Secret’s “Mean Stinks” program and the role of the “Hand Raiser”. It’s important to visualize the act of girl-to-girl bullying in your video – either by showing it or talking about it — so we can help give girls the tools to recognize it and the courage to stand up to it.

For research, you can visit the “Mean Stinks” Facebook page. For reference, here are some profiles that might help inspire your stories and videos:

• The Big Heart: Listens and lets people vent rather than taking action.

• The Peacemaker: Tries to mediate and/or resolve the conflict by working with the parties involved.

• The Communicator: Reports the incident to adults or other authority figures.

• The Truth Teller: Speaks up and defends the target.

• The Cheerleader: Supports a person who is taking a stand. Isn’t strong enough to confront but will support the one who does.

• The Social Butterfly (i.e., the one who can change into something better): The one who realizes she needs to change her behavior after she has participated in something “bad;” or, who sees she needs to take a stand after observing bad behavior without saying anything. She is a bit more anxious about social dynamics/unsure of herself. The social butterfly is likely to change when she sees that not participating in bullying can be socially successful (ex. The Truth Teller is not totally isolated. The Communicator isn’t committing social suicide).

–Key Marketing Messages: Secret has created the following visual cues and brand guidelines to show how to take a stand against bullying. If you’d like to incorporate these images during a call-to-action in your video, you can upload them from the “Assets” tab on the project page.
– The Pinky Swear – an easy and visible sign of commitment.
– The Blue Pinky Nail – a signal of Secret’s unique commitment to help end girl-to-girl-bullying.
– Mean Stinks brand colors and phrases.

–Target Audience: 13-18 year old girls.

–Exposure: “Mean Stinks” Facebook page.

Prize

1st – $15,000
2nd – $7,000
3rd – $5,000
4th – $4,000
5th – $2,000
6th – 7th – $1,000

Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions in the comments below.