The video contest-hosting site Tongal recently ran two different contests for Benjamin Moore paints and the winners were all announced this week. The first contest was called “Authentic Color” and for this one, filmmakers were supposed to create funny videos about how cutting corners can be a bad idea…or something like that.  I think the intended point was that using cheap, non-Benjamin Moore paint is a bad idea.  Tongal is kind of unique in that they run their contests in phases.  In the first phase, people pitch ideas and the sponsors pick the concepts they like best.  Then filmmakers go out and shoot those ideas.  Anyways, here’s the video that took first place.  The odd prize amount is because the person who came up with the original concept gets a slice of a the winnings.

First Place Winner.  Prize:  $7,125.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKIbtfDmfMs

The second Benjamin Moore competition was called “Outside the Box.”  For this one, filmmakers needed to drive home the point that benjamin Moore paints aren’t available at “big box” stores so if you want to buy B.M. paints you need to “think outside the box.”  Here’s the video that came in first.  It’s pretty cool.

First Place Winner.  Prize: $5,000.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1X_qQjHS60

You can see all five of the “Outside the Box” winners here and the five “Authentic Color” winners here.

Incidentally, there is one more phase to these competitions that is still going on; the “Exhibition” phase.  Any Tongal member can upload any of the winning videos to their youtube channels and then try to spread them around.  The first three people who can get a total of 50,000 youtube views in thirty days wins an ipad.  50K sounds kind of high but I figured hey, I’ll give it a shot.  So if you watched the videos above…thanks!  You just helped me get 2 views closer to an ipad!  Seriously though, if I can crack 2,000 views just by posting those videos here I’d be pretty impressed with myself.  50,000 views in 30 days seems pretty unobtainable.