Disney - IFTSA Product Development Competition
Chair: Amy DeJong, University of Wisconsin - Madison (iftsa.disney@gmail.com )
Overview:
The Disney-IFTSA Product Development Competition ("Competition") provides a team of students with the opportunity to propose a market-relevant, delicious and nutritious food or beverage snack that integrates at least one of the following in a product targeted to children 10 and younger for a retail outlet:
- A fruit
- A vegetable
- Low-fat dairy product, and/or
- Whole grains
Teams shall be provided with and use certain Disney characters* to develop their products, such characters and depictions of such characters, and accompanying artwork, designs and/or other elements, as may be designated by Disney. Each Team must develop its product proposal around ONE AND ONLY ONE of the following Disney franchises:
- Disney Standard Characters franchise (i.e., Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto and Goofy)
- Disney/Pixar Cars franchise (i.e., Lightning McQueen, Sally, Fillmore, Boost, DJ and Mater)
- Disney Princess franchise (i.e., Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, Ariel, Mulan, Pocahontas, Tiana, Aurora, Snow White and Rapunzel)
- The animated television series Jake and the Never Land Pirates (i.e., Jake, Izzy, Cubby, Skully, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Sharky and Bones, Marina the Mermaid, Tick-Tock the Crocodile)
- The animated television series Disney Phineas and Ferb (i.e., Phineas, Ferb, Perry/Agent P, Candace, Jeremy, Buford and Dr. Doofenshmirtz)
Teams can learn more about the Disney characters at www.disney.com/characters.
The first round preliminary proposals (due February 15, 2012) will be judged following the guidelines listed in the official rules of the Competition (Sections 9A & B). Five (5) finalist teams will be selected based on the preliminary proposals to compete at the IFT Annual Meeting on June 25-28, 2011 in Las Vegas, NV. The final proposals (due May 25, 2012) will be judged following the guidelines listed in the official rules of the Competition (Section 9B). One grand prize winner, one first prize winner and three honorary prize winners will be selected from among the five finalist teams.
Eligibility:
To be eligible for the Competition, a team must meet the following criteria:
- The team's home base must be within the fifty states, District of Columbia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Puerto Rico or Mexico
- All members of the team must be IFTSA members
- All members of the team must be from the same college or university
- The team must consist of no less than two (2) and no more than five (5) students
- The team must either be all undergraduate students, all graduate students or both undergraduate and graduate students**
- Each Team Member must execute and deliver to Sponsor a Copyright and Confidentiality Agreement that Sponsor shall make available to eligible Teams; and
- No team member should be an employee of Disney Consumer Products, Inc., its parent or affiliate companies, the advertising, promotional or fulfillment agencies of any of them, nor a member of the household or immediate family of such employee
* In order to be able to use such Disney intellectual property to create a Team's preliminary and final proposals, each Team Member must download, sign and return the Copyright and Confidentiality Agreement to Sponsor. Teams may only use the Disney intellectual property made available to the Team by Sponsor for their product proposals submitted in this Competition.
** More than one (1) Team from the same university may enter the Contest so long as each Team meets the eligibility requirements.
Important Dates:
- February 15, 2012: Preliminary proposals due
- May 25, 2012: Final proposals due
- Final judging will be on June 25-28, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV at the 2012 Annual IFT Meeting
Prizes:
- One travel grant of US $1,000 will be awarded to each one of the five (5) finalist teams. The travel grants are provided to help subsidize the expenses incurred for airfare and lodging to compete at the 2012 Annual IFT Meeting on June 25-28, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV.
- One grand prize: a check for US $7,500
- One first place prize: a check for US $3,500
- Three honorary prizes: a check for US $1,000
All judging criteria and full Competition details can be located in the official rules of the Competition.
THIS SUMMARY OF THE DISNEY COMPEITION IS NOT IN LIEU OF THE OFFICIAL RULES. ANY TEAM ENTERING INTO THE COMPETITION MUST COMPLY WITH THE OFFICIAL RULES.
2011 Winners:
- Grand prize – University of Wisconsin, Madison with "Pixie Dust Fruit Beverage Mix"
- First place – University of Arkansas with "Phenomenal Funchies"
- Honorary mention – University of Nebraska – Lincoln with "CarsZone"
- Honorary mention – University of Wisconsin, Madison with "Tangerine Dream"
- Honorary mention – Rutgers University with "Gitchi Gitchi Goo"
- Honorary mention – Washington State University/University of Idaho with "Mater's Craters"
2010 Winners:
- Grand prize - UC Davis - Mickey's Pocket Pies
- First place - Cornell - Finding Nemo's Pasta Pals
- Honorary mention - U. of Arkansas - Snackatouille
- Honorary mention - U. of Illinois - Snow White's Apple Puff
2009 Winners:
- Grand Prize Graduate Team - University of Minnesota
- Grand Prize Undergraduate Team - Kansas State University
- Second Place - UC Davis
- Third Place - Ohio State University