The AboveTopSecret.com Ad Banner Contest! (cash prizes)

Rest assured, no one's material is being stolen. The Amigos are just very, very, very busy and are trying to keep a near-infinite number of plates spinning on sticks at the same time while "Saber Dance" plays in the background.

However, I understand your desire for an update, and have brought this to their attention. Thank you all very much for your patience in the meantime.

It will be bring me great PLEASURE to get SkepticOverlord on the phone (this contest is his baby) and let him know that he is remiss in his updating duties.

Admittedly we have been BURIED with work but that's no excuse.

Rest assured we are not "stealing banners", S.O. is among the elite professionals at creating banners in the industry and we simply don't steal.

Springer...

Sorry for the delay folks... some pressing RL issues thoroughly screwing up my schedule.

As previously mentioned, many of the submissions didn't meet certain minimum requirements, or, lacked key attributes (like "Above Top Secret") in the copy. So as a result, we didn't receive enough qualifying submissions for an appropriate contest and selection process.

Here is there refined and updated contest... prizes and selection process remains the same.

AboveTopSecret.com Member Ad Banner Contest: Rev. 8/22/07

New Submission Deadline
Submissions are due for business-at-theabovenetwork.com no later than midnight (EST) September 15th, 2007. Judging begins 10/1/2007.

File Requirements: SWF, Flash
All flash submissions must be 728 pixels wide by 90 pixels tall, with a maximum file size of 50k. Animation can loop, but must end on an appropriate panel after three cycles.

File Requirements: GIF - Static and Animated
All GIF submissions must be 728 pixels wide by 90 pixels tall, with a maximum file size of 30k. Animation can loop, but must end after three cycles.

In both cases, the total length of one cycle of an animation cannot exceed 12 seconds.

Submission Count Requirements
A minimum of eight qualifying submissions are required for the contest to move forward.


General Creative Requirements

A recognizable (in size) version of the ATS logo must appear in the banner.

The motto: "Deny Ignorance" must be used at some point.

The domain name: "AboveTopSecret.com" must appear in the banner, with the "A", "T", and "S" capitalized as shown.

Do not break "Deny Ignorance", "Above Top Secret", or "AboveTopSecret.com" into two or more lines.

No typography less than 9pts (or pixels).


General Creative Suggestions

Keep it simple... less is more for text within an ad banner.

Large, strong imagery works well to attract the user's eye.

Slightly skewed or rotated text can work well to attract users.

Focus on simple, strong copy.


If you've already submitted a banner, you can let it stand, or make refinements and resubmit.

We will not use any banners, either through design, copy, or otherwise, that are not selected as winners in this contest.


[edit on 23-8-2007 by SkepticOverlord]

Could you possibly name those with qualifying submissions?

Originally posted by Spec01
Could you possibly name those with qualifying submissions?

If your submission doesn't meet the standards above, then it doesn't qualify.

We won't name the submitting members until the contest submission period is over.

Great that the contest is still on!


[edit on 27-8-2007 by Palasheea]

Well that was fun?

Would be nice to see these banners wouldn't it. Winners, losers, usable or not. This was meant to be fun too wasn't it, not just about business and money?

Anyone else bothered or feel confused.

Originally posted by nerbot
Anyone else bothered or feel confused.

I'm one such person... only three new member entries since the contest was extended... with still not enough that meet the specified requirements.

We're likely going to distribute some type of prize to all members submitting an entry and just pick a grand prize winner on our own. More info soon.

oops.. nm.

should have checked the date before replying! Sorry I missed this!!!

[edit on 24-9-2007 by scientist]

Thanks for your quick reply Bill.

My point is this.....regardless of who did what and how usable it is, it would be fun to show peeps some or even all of these banners for entertainment value. Also, it will give us the chance to see just what is usable and what is not. If you are brave enough to do anything like this again it may prove useful.

Cheers.

[edit on 24/9/2007 by nerbot]

Originally posted by nerbot
it would be fun to show peeps some or even all of these banners for entertainment value.

Even if we were to show the entries (which we likely will), judging was not scheduled to begin until Monday, October 1st.

Originally posted by Djarums
The amigos have decided to do some promoting. They could hire out a firm to do it. However, realizing from many perspectives (such as avatars and other contests) that we have a HUGE amount of talented members on ATS, they chose to offer it up here first.

It is not only a brilliant idea and very respectful to your community here, it is also a sign of the new market. You are tapping into non traditional talent that, if they choose can gain both fame and a little cash for an effort some simply consider fun anyway.

Well done.

I have no art talent, but if I did. I would have a few ATS topics pictures. People researching in huge library of info, aliens landing, war and politics picture beakers and science, mystical imagery(make sure not an offence to knee jerk religions) and I would fade one into the other with a perfect color scheme from left to right. As the color of the darker alien one fades in, the previous picture darkens away and meshes left to right. A slogan for each. It would be huge image file though

Anyone like this idea go ahead and use it Could even do a few fades between image swaps to add to individual image, nice and slow to not distract but terribly compelling. and of coarse subliminal messaging

just musing I see the deadline is past.

[edit on 24-9-2007 by Redge777]

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Oops! I just saw the deadline date! But while I'm posting Mr. Overlord, I have been visiting a new website that is run by a spiritual native american guy, named Truspiritstar. And he sure has been giving ATS some good plugs. I told him I was a member here and he said to tell you that you are a wise man, wise like a fox.
I told him I would if I ever had audience with you. Here's a link to his site if you want to go say hi to him. There's not a lot of traffic there yet.
www.freewebs.com...

We'll be posting the submissions by the end of the week, and allowing members to make comments and such.

Unfortunately, we do not have enough for a proper contest... but we will revive this concept in a different way somewhat soon.


Update: There simply aren't enough submissions that match the guidelines. We're considering some type of alternative contest in the future.

[edit on 1-11-2007 by SkepticOverlord]

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Sweet!

Being a fairly new member, I'm still learning my way around here.

I missed this contest, having discovered it only after the second deadline had passed.

(I seriously considered trying to slip an entry under the wire in the closing days of last month, but that wouldn't have been ethical... )

Fair warning: I'll be ready for the next one...

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
We'll be posting the submissions by the end of the week, and allowing members to make comments and such.

no comment.

bump

www.williamirvine.com

Con test? Is the 5th of Novemeber a scam too? Keep your ideas your ideas. Investo-skimmage? Plebe-sourcing. Idea-minig. Rob from the rich and poor. No K-Y for anyone. $crapetechOverdork is sloppy. Look around.

u2u's are read by? Now what happens if that person were not around? Like maybe in legal trouble?


tack' has the "red-dot" on NYC. My house.

Hopefully, we'll hear something one way or the other soon...

Not sure about you all, but I put dozens of hours into my banner submission - making sure to follow every rule and design parameter.

Anyway - perhaps the Amigos have been preoccupied with the November 5th event and I'm sure general ATS business matters are a constant demand upon their time and energy.

Hang in there; Bill's sure to weigh in eventually...

Originally posted by Outrageo
Hopefully, we'll hear something one way or the other soon...

Sorry... I put the following link together a while ago... then got sidetracked with the 1,817.3 things to do in preparation for 11/5.

Here are all of the submissions received at the indicated email account:
upload.abovetopsecret.com...

We're going to have an alternative creative contest soon, and we're working on some consolation prizes... stay tuned.

Of the 4 banners that have a grey background and quickly flash with all the ATS-related words, the uppermost one is the final copy. Just ignore the other three.

The very bottom banner and the 2nd one down from the top are awesome, whoever did them. Don't mind the top one either.