2026-27 HS National Video Commercial Competition

COMPETITION OVERVIEW

A video advertisement is a short video (usually 30 to 60 seconds) designed to attract potential customers. An effective video commercial will grab attention, garner interest, and get people excited about the company. The competition challenges VE students to produce a 30 to 60-second video commercial that effectively promotes their business and product/service offerings. 

• Click here to access the competition scoring guide.
• Click here to watch sample submissions.

CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

• Content Information: Information about the company, product, and/or service are clearly explained; name, contact information, and website are shared.
• Branding: Company name, logo, slogans, and color schemes are clearly identifiable.
• Compelling Message: Communication is effective, and there is a call to action.

FORMATTING ELEMENTS

• 30-60 second presentation
• Production elements such as audio quality, editing, and use of music or other sound effects align with the brand and message of the video commercial.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Submissions must be appropriate for a school-related event, must be original student work, and must not violate copyright laws or plagiarize existing work. (For example, use of the Nike brand or logo without Nike’s permission)
• Acceptable file types: mov, mpeg4, mp4, webm, m4v
• Maximum file size: 1GB
• One entry per firm
• All submissions due by 10:55 PM ET

JUDGING CRITERIA

Using the Judging Criteria, each Element will be rated from 1 to 5 stars.

• Content - How well is the story or message communicated? Are product/service offerings clearly presented?
• Branding -  How well are branding elements featured (name, logo, slogan, colors, etc.)?
• Compelling - How well does this commercial capture attention and motivate the audience?
• Production Quality - How well do all production elements (audio, video, graphics, etc.) work together?
• Audio/Video Quality - How well was the audio and video produced?
• Editing Quality - How well was the commercial edited?
• Media/Graphics or Titles - How well were visuals like graphics and titles integrated?

CAREER READINESS FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT

Leadership:

• Demonstrates intrapreneurship
• Motivates others to act
• Operates with purpose

Professional:

• Communicates effectively
• Embraces diversity

Functional:

• Uses design thinking to solve problems
• Communicates through storytelling

Technology

• Uses industry/function-specific technology
• Applies appropriate technology to task