Aarp – Aarp Benefits Badass Contest – Social Media – Win A $50000 check

AARP Benefits Badass Contest
Official Rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT
INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
1. Eligibility: AARP Benefits Badass Contest (the “Contest”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50)
United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry and
who have an AARP.org account. Creating an AARP.org account is free but subject to the listed terms and
conditions. Employees of AARP, Glue IQ, LLC, Merkle Inc., and any of their parent and affiliate companies
as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each
such employee are not eligible. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and
regulations and is void where prohibited.
2. Sponsor: AARP, 601 E. Street NW, Washington, DC 20049. Administrator: Merkle Inc., 3000 Town
Center, Suite 2100, Southfield, MI 48075.
3. Agreement to Official Rules: Participation in this Contest constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional
agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s and Administrator’s decisions, which are final and binding
in all matters related to this Contest. Winning the prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth
herein, including consent to a confidential background check to confirm each potential Finalist’s eligibility
and compliance with these Official Rules. Due to the nature of the prizes offered, if a background
check reveals that a potential Finalist has engaged in conduct that could damage the reputation of
Sponsor or any of the Released Parties, as determined by Sponsor in its discretion, the potential
Finalist may be disqualified.
4. Timing: The Contest begins on April 19, 2023 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”), ends on July 24, 2023
at 11:59 p.m. ET (the “Contest Period”) and consists of three (3) phases (each a “Phase”), as outlined
below:
Phase Start Date at 12:00 a.m. ET End Date at 11:59 p.m. ET
Submission April 19, 2023 May 29, 2023
Finalist Judging May 30, 2023 June 26, 2023
Public Voting June 27, 2023 July 24, 2023
Winner Announcement on or before August 25
Administrator’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Contest.
5. How to Enter: During the Submission Phase, visit www.aarpbenefitsbadass.org (“Website”) and follow
the links and instructions to complete and submit the registration form, including your AARP.org login
information. Then, follow the directions to upload one (1) essay that describes why you deserve to be the
AARP “Benefits Badass” (500 characters or fewer). An “AARP Benefits Badass” uses AARP benefits to
save money, stay healthy, support their community, and have fun, and wants to share all the benefits of
AARP membership with their friends, family, and followers. The essay is required but will not be judged
in this Contest. Once you submit the essay, an email will be sent to the email address provided on the
registration form. Click on the link included in the email and follow the links and instructions to move to the
next step, which is submitting a video link. See details below related to video requirements and submission
details.
There are two (2) categories of AARP membership benefits – “Social Mission Benefits” and “Commercial
Benefits.” Create a 120 second or less video (“Video”) discussing one or more of the many benefits of
AARP membership, such as
Social Mission Benefits:
Programs like Driver Safety, Staying Sharp, AARP Rewards, AARP Money Map and local
volunteerism
Tools and resources that help family caregivers,
The AARP Fraud Watch Network
Career and job resources
Healthy living content and diet and exercise tips
Advocacy on behalf of the 50-plus, their families and their communities,
Financial planning tips and useful calculators
AARP The Magazine, The AARP Bulletin, and newsletters like The Girlfriend
and more; the full list of Social Mission Benefits available at www.AARP.org/socialmissionbenefits
Commercial Benefits:
The full list of Commercial Benefits is available at www.AARP.org/commercialbenefits
THE MAJORITY OF YOUR VIDEO MUST DISCUSS SOCIAL MISSION BENEFITS. For every
Commercial Benefit discussed in your Video, you must discuss at least one more Social Mission benefit,
and the time allotted to discuss Social Mission Benefits must exceed the time used to discuss any
Commercial Benefit(s).
Your Video must be based on your honest opinion and personal experience. You must also add a
text overlay to your Video that displays #contest for the duration of the Video (text overlay must be legible).
You must also add #Contest and #BenefitsBadass to your original caption. See below for all guidelines and
content requirements of your Video. Your Video will be judged in this Contest.
Upload the Video to your personal and public Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Vimeo account (each,
a “Social Account”). Creating and using each Social Account is free but is subject to the applicable terms
and conditions: Twitter Terms, (Instagram Terms), (TikTok Terms). YouTube Terms or Vimeo Terms). If
entering via a mobile device and using your wireless carrier’s network, standard data charges from your
wireless carrier may apply. Next, return to the Website and provide the URL link to your Video.
Your Video will be referred to as your submission (“Submission”). By uploading your Submission, you agree
that it conforms to the Guidelines and Content Restrictions below and that Sponsor, in its sole discretion,
may remove your Submission from the gallery and disqualify you if it believes that it fails to conform. Where
your Submission meets all requirements, your Submission will be deemed one (1) Contest entry.
Guidelines:
The Video must not exceed 120 seconds in length.
For every Commercial Benefit discussed in your Video, you must discuss at least one more
Social Mission benefit, and the time allotted to discuss Social Mission Benefits must exceed the
time used to discuss any Commercial Benefit(s). The essay must not exceed 500 characters.
The Submission must be in English except for commonly understood non-English words.
Permissions: Entrant must have permission from any recognizable individuals who appear in the essay
and/or Submission to use their names and likenesses in the essay and/or Submission and to grant the
rights set forth herein. Minors may only be included in the essay and/or Submission if entrant is their parent
or legal guardian. If requested, entrant must be able to provide such permissions or proof in a form
acceptable to Sponsor.
Content Restrictions:
The Submission must be your original work.
The Submission must not convey Sponsor’s services, including the AARP Benefits, in manner
contrary to or inconsistent with the description, representation or depiction found at
(www.AARP.org/benefits).
The Submission must not convey any claims of Sponsor’s services, including licensed 3rd
party
products, that would be deemed unsubstantiated or deceptive if made by Sponsor.
The Submission must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including
but not limited to contract, privacy, publicity, or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes
copyright infringement.
The Submission must not contain logos, brand names or trademarks other than those owned
by Sponsor or its licensed providers found at www.AARP.org/benefits.
The Submission also must not contain content created by a third party such as music, images,
or artwork (including content offered by any Social Platform such as stickers or filters, other
than text overlay (emojis permitted)). The Submission must not disparage Sponsor, or any
other person or party.
The Submission must not contain material that is inappropriate, offensive, indecent, obscene,
sexually explicit, tortious, defamatory, slanderous, or libelous.
The Submission must not make references to or include alcohol, illegal drugs, marijuana,
tobacco, or firearms/weapons, any activities that are or appear to be dangerous, or any political
agenda.
The Submission must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred, or harm
against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion,
nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age; and
The Submission must not contain material that is unlawful, in violation of, or contrary to the laws
or regulations in any state where Submission is created.
Limit: Each entrant may upload one (1) Submission during the Submission Phase. Submissions received
from any person or email address in excess of the stated limit will be void. Submissions generated by script,
macro or other automated means are void. In the event of a dispute as to any Submission, the authorized
account holder of the email address used to register will be deemed to be the entrant and must comply with
these Official Rules. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned an email address by an
Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email
addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address. Each entrant may be required to show
proof of being an authorized account holder. Released Parties (as defined in Section 10, below) are not
responsible for lost, late, stolen, damaged, incomplete, invalid, un-intelligible, garbled, delayed, or
misdirected Submissions; all of which will be void.
6. Sponsor’s Use of Submissions: Uploading a Submission constitutes entrant’s consent to give Sponsor
a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create
derivative works from, and display such submissions in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis, and to
incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, including for
promotional or marketing purposes. If requested, entrant will sign any documentation that may be required
for Sponsor or its designees to make use of the non-exclusive rights entrant is granting to use the
Submission.
7. Winner Determination: Winner will be determined according to the process set forth below.
a. Finalist Judging Phase: During the Finalist Judging Phase, a panel of qualified judges
determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion will select the twenty-five (25) entrants with the
highest-scoring Videos (the “Finalists”) from among all eligible Videos based on the following
criteria (“Judging Criteria”), as defined below:
Charisma (33%);
Quality of Video (34%); and
Creativity (33%)
In the event of a tie, the entrant whose Video received the highest score for Quality of Video, as
determined by the qualified judges, in their sole discretion, will be deemed the applicable Finalist
from among the tied entrants. Sponsor reserves the right to select fewer than the stated number of
Finalists, if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified
Videos. Sponsor will not disclose judging scores.
b. Confirmation of Finalists: Potential Finalists will be notified by email or phone on or around
May 30, 2023. Each potential Finalist will be required to sign and return a Declaration of
Compliance, Liability Waiver, and where not prohibited a Publicity Release, including consent to a
confidential background check, which must be received by Administrator within five (5) calendar
days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to be confirmed as a Finalist. If a
potential Finalist cannot be contacted, fails to execute and return the Declaration of Compliance,
Liability and Publicity Release, agree to a confidential background check or provide any other
requested information within the required time period (if applicable), or does not comply with these
Official Rules, then potential Finalist will be disqualified. If the background check reveals that a
potential Finalist has engaged in conduct that could damage the reputation of Sponsor or any of the
Released Parties, as determined by Sponsor in its discretion, Sponsor may disqualify potential
Finalist. Sponsor may select an alternate Finalist with the next highest score in the event that a
potential Finalist does not respond, declines to participate during the Voting Phase, or is
disqualified for any reason.
c. Voting Phase: During the Voting Phase, the Finalists’ Video will be posted in an online gallery
for public voting at aarpbenefitsbadass.org. Persons who meet the eligibility criteria as set forth in
Section 1 will be invited to vote for the Video they believe has the most public appeal. Limit: Each
person may vote one (1) time during the Voting Phase. Multiple votes received from any person or
email address in excess of the stated number will be void. Any attempt by any entrant or voter to
obtain votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means, including without limitation, offering prizes
or other inducements to members of the public as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, by
using any automated program, by using multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations
and logins, or any other methods, will void those votes for the entrant’s Video and entrant may be
disqualified as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. The public vote tallies will be used to
determine the score for the Public Appeal criterion (included in the Judging Criteria described
below) for each entrant’s Video. Entrants who receive a higher number of votes will receive a higher
Public Appeal score. Sponsor reserves the right to revise voting tallies or not consider the score
generated for the Public Appeal criterion for purposes of determining the winners should the voting
appear to have been tampered with or manipulated in any way.
d. Winner Selection: After the conclusion of the Voting Phase, Sponsor’s panel of qualified judges,
will score the Finalist Video based on the following Judging Criteria, as defined above:
Public Appeal (10%);
Charisma (30%);
Quality of Video (30%); and
Creativity (30%)
Subject to the Finalists’ compliance with these Official Rules, the Finalist whose Video receives
highest score will be deemed the potential Grand Prize winner. In the event of a tie, the Finalist
whose Video received the highest score for “Quality of Video,” as determined by the qualified
judges in their sole discretion, will be deemed the applicable potential winner from amongst the tied
entrants. Sponsor will not disclose judging scores.
8. Winner Requirements: Potential winner will be notified by email, mail, or phone on or around August 25,
2023. If the potential winner cannot be contacted, fails to provide any requested information, within the
required time period (if/as applicable), does not comply with these Official Rules, or if prize is returned as
undeliverable, potential winner forfeits the prize. If a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, the prize
may be awarded to a runner-up, if any, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Only three (3) alternate winners may be
determined, after which the applicable prize will remain un-awarded.
9. Prize: ONE (1) GRAND PRIZE: A $50,000 check. In addition, the Grand Prize winner will receive three
(3) prize packs to be sent to the winner throughout the year. Contents of prizes packs will be determined by
Sponsor in its sole discretion, but each prize pack will be valued at approximately $150.00. Terms and
conditions of gift cards apply. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $50,450. Prize is non-transferable and no
substitution will be made except as provided herein at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the
right to substitute the prize (or a component thereof) for one of equal or greater value if the designated prize
should become unavailable for any reason. Winner is responsible for all taxes and fees associated with
prize receipt and/or use.
10. Release: By receipt of any prize, winner agrees to release and hold harmless the Sponsor,
Administrator, Glue IQ, LLC, Twitter, Inc., Meta Platforms, Inc., TikTok LLC, Google LLC, or Vimeo.com,
Inc., and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, distributors,
advertising/promotion agencies, and prize suppliers, and each of their respective parent companies and
each such company’s officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from
and against any claim or cause of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to
or loss of property, arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any prize,
including any related travel.
11. Publicity Acceptance of any prize shall constitute and signify each winner’s agreement and consent
that Sponsor and its designees may use the winner’s name, city, state, likeness, photo, Submission, and/or
prize information in connection with the Contest for promotional, advertising or other purposes, worldwide,
in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, including the Internet, without limitation and without
further payment, notification, permission or other consideration, except where prohibited by law.
12. Not an Offer of Employment: Nothing in these Official Rules is an offer or contract of employment of
any kind with any entity. Entrant acknowledges that entrant’s essay and Video is submitted voluntarily and
not in confidence or in trust. Entrant acknowledges that no confidential, fiduciary, agency or other
relationship or implied-in-fact contract now exists between entrant and the Sponsor or any of the Released
Parties and that no such relationship is established by entering this Contest pursuant to these Official
Rules.
13. Ownership of Submission: The winner shall irrevocably grant, transfer, convey and assign to Sponsor
the entirety of the rights in and to the Submission and all renewals and extensions of copyright, and the right
to secure copyright registrations thereto in perpetuity including, without limitation, the rights to use the
Submission for any and all purposes in any and all media whether now known or hereafter developed, on a
worldwide basis, in perpetuity. The winner accepts and acknowledges that Sponsor shall not be obligated to
use the Submission and that Sponsor in its sole discretion shall have the right to refrain from using the
Submission. Sponsor shall not incur any liability whatsoever to the extent Sponsor chooses to refrain from
any exploitation of its rights hereunder. The winner will indemnify Sponsor, Released Parties, and any
licensee of Sponsor against all claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable counsel
fees and legal expenses) arising out of any breach of these terms.
14. General Conditions: Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Contest if any
fraud, technical failures, human error, any other factor impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the
Contest, or any event or cause beyond Sponsor’s control (e.g. events such as natural calamities, national
emergencies, wide spread illnesses, declarations of war, acts of God, acts of terrorism) interferes with any
aspect of the Contest, including but not limited to fulfillment of the prize(s), as determined by Sponsor in its
sole discretion. If terminated, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, determine the winner from among all
non-suspect, eligible entries received up to time of such action using the judging procedure outlined above.
Sponsor may also modify the prizes offered. In addition, Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any
individual it finds to be tampering with the Entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in
violation of the Official Rules of this or any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner
and void all associated Entries. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate
operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made,
Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such
person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules
shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
15. Limitations of Liability: Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate
information, whether caused by entrant, printing, typographical or other errors or by any of the equipment or
programming associated with or utilized in the Contest; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not
limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3)
unauthorized human intervention in any part of the Submission process or the Contest; (4) printing,
typographical, technical, computer, network or human error which may occur in the administration of the
Contest, the uploading, the processing or judging of Submissions or votes or the tabulating of votes, the
announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials; (5) late, lost, undeliverable, damaged or
stolen mail; or (6) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in
whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any prize (including
any travel/activity related thereto). Released Parties are not responsible for misdirected or undeliverable
Submissions or for any technical problems, malfunctions of computer systems, servers, providers,
hardware/software, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled, or delayed
computer transmission or any combination thereof. Released Parties are not responsible for any
unauthorized third-party use of any Submission.
16. Disputes: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and
enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection
with the Promotion, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of
Michigan without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Michigan
or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the
State of Michigan.
17. Entrant’s Personal Information: Information collected from entrant is subject to Sponsor’s Privacy
Policy http://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/privacy-policy/.
18. Winner List: For a winner list, please click here. The winner list will be posted after winner confirmation
is complete.
© 2023 Merkle Inc. All rights reserved.
This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Twitter, Inc.,
Meta Platforms, Inc., TikTok, Inc., Google LLC, or Vimeo.com, Inc.