Runway opens Big Ad Contest with up to $100K for fictional product spots

• Runway has opened a new speculative-commercial competition, with its launch post pitching ads for "products that don't exist" and prizes totaling up to $100K.
• According to the contest page, entries must be 30-60 second spots built around one of seven fictional product briefs, and submissions close April 1.
• The official rules page says the contest is limited to individuals or teams with an active paid Runway plan, and submissions must include the official Runway watermark.

Runway is framing this as a short-form ad challenge rather than a general film festival. Its announcement thread asks creators to make commercials for fictional products, and the launch video contest promo packages it like a real brand brief rather than an open-ended showcase.

That matters for the kind of work likely to land well: concise concepting, product-world building, and polished commercial craft. The companion contest page describes seven separate briefs, each with its own creative ask, so this is closer to a live client sprint than a pure style exercise.

Runway's official contest page says submissions can come from individuals or teams, but everyone needs an active paid Runway plan. Ads must be original works created in Runway, can use any of the platform's models, and must respond directly to an assigned brief. The same page says entries should be high-quality, respectful, and submitted with the official watermark intact.

Prize money is structured like a tiered awards slate. The rules summary lists a $50,000 grand prize for the top ad, plus additional prizes for runners-up and finalists, bringing the total pool to as much as $100,000. Judging centers on concept, craft, impact, originality, and how well the piece answers its brief.