ElevenLabs The Search: an invented brand, $50,000 to win

The Search is a contest run by ElevenLabs: you invent a brand and make an original 15 to 45 second ad for it, with an original jingle made in ElevenCreative at the heart of the idea. There is $100,000 in prizes in total, $50,000 of it for first place. Entries close on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time, which is Monday, November 2, 2026 at 8:59 am in Morocco. Read the official rules before you start: they are what counts.

A brand that does not exist, an ad shorter than a minute, and a real reward. The contest has been open since early October and only a few days are left. Here are the rules, checked on the official pages, followed by a realistic production plan to deliver on time.

01What do you need to make for The Search?

According to the contest page and the ElevenLabs blog announcement of October 1, 2026, the ad must meet these points:

• An invented brand. Any product or service, in any category. The product name, image and logo must appear in the ad.
• One video, 15 to 45 seconds long. Anything outside that range is not judged. The blog mentions 16:9 and 9:16 formats.
• An original jingle generated in ElevenCreative. No existing songs, no covers. The jingle has to be central, not background music added at the end.
• The official contest watermark, in the bottom-right corner of the video and of every post. You download it from the Rules section of the official page.
• New work, made for this contest and never published anywhere else.
• English for the judges: the ad must be voiced or subtitled in English. Ads in another language are accepted with English subtitles, and ads with neither dialogue nor subtitles are accepted too.

You can use other tools for visuals or editing. But the more of the ElevenCreative toolkit you use (voice, music, sound design, video), the better your “Craft” score can be.

“The jingle has to be central to the idea, not tacked on at the end.” ElevenLabs, blog, October 1, 2026

02How much can you win?

The rules set $100,000 shared between eleven winners:

• 1st place: $50,000
• 2nd place: $20,000
• 3rd place: $10,000
• 4th to 11th place: $2,500 each

All eleven winners are also offered an interview with ElevenLabs for an AI Creative Producer role. The rules state that this is an opportunity to interview, not a job offer. Prizes are paid through the payment partner PartnerStack, and each winner is responsible for taxes and currency rules in their own country.

03Who can enter, and does Morocco qualify?

According to the official rules:

• you must be at least 18, or the age of majority where you live if it is higher;
• residents of Russia and of countries under comprehensive US OFAC sanctions (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the annexed regions of Ukraine) are excluded;
• government employees and officials are excluded, along with their immediate family;
• you can enter solo, as a team (no size limit) or as an agency;
• you can send several ads, as long as each one is substantially different.

Morocco is not on the exclusion list. The rules add that the contest is void where prohibited by law: if you have a doubt about your situation, read the full text. No purchase or paid subscription is required to enter or to win.

04How do the judges score the ads?

The rules list four criteria, each scored from 1 to 5 and weighted:

• Catchiness (35%): does the jingle stick in your head? This is the main criterion.
• Concept (25%): is the idea original and clever, and does the product feel like something you wish existed?
• Craft (25%): how well you used the ElevenCreative tools (voice, music, sound design).
• Cohesion (15%): do product, jingle, visuals and voice work as one ad?

The written description of how you used ElevenCreative, requested in the entry form, is also part of the judging. Don’t rush it.

05How do you submit your ad?

1. Post the ad publicly on at least two platforms among X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. LinkedIn appears in some passages of the official texts: to be safe, pick two of the first four.
2. Add the hashtags #TheWorldsCatchiestAd and #ElevenCreativeCompetitionVol1, and tag @elevencreative and @elevenlabs where the platform allows.
3. Keep the posts live and public until the end of the judging period, on November 10, 2026.
4. Fill in the official entry form, reached from the “Submit now” button on the contest page, with: the public ElevenCreative link to your jingle, a link to at least one post, the raw video file on Frame.io or Google Drive with view access, the title and description of the ad, and a description of how you used ElevenCreative. An audio file sent instead of the public link is not accepted.

Finalists may be asked for raw generation files or project access. Winners will be announced on November 10, 2026 at 9:30 am Pacific Time (6:30 pm in Morocco) on the ElevenLabs X account.

06What is the deadline in Morocco time?

The rules close entries on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. That day, the US West Coast has just gone back to standard time (UTC-8), and Morocco is on UTC+1. The deadline is therefore Monday, November 2, 2026 at 8:59 am Morocco time.

Don’t aim for the last hour. Posting on two platforms and filling in the form takes time, and a private link or a missing watermark can get the ad rejected at the first screening, which checks exactly those points.

07How do you produce a 15 to 45 second ad in four days?

This is the plan I would follow with the time left.

Day 1: the brand and the jingle

Invent a product people understand in one image, with a short name that sounds good when sung. Write the promise in one sentence. Then write a music brief: genre, tempo, length, type of voice and lyrics. In its online workshop about the contest, ElevenLabs highlights three principles: a simple melody with one surprise, a tempo that makes it move, and short, rhymed, crystal-clear lyrics. Generate several versions, keep the best one, and create its public link right away.

Day 2: the script and the shot list

Fit the script to the jingle, not the other way round: the brand name should land on a strong beat. Keep the shot list short, for example a hook shot, the product in use, the logo, then the final chorus with the name. My article on storytelling in a short ad breaks down this structure, and the one on visual hooks helps you work on the first second.

Day 3: visuals, voice and edit

Generate or shoot the shots, add the voice and the sound effects. In the edit, cut on the rhythm of the jingle and stay under 45 seconds. Put the watermark in the bottom-right corner, add English subtitles if the ad is in another language, and check that the name, product image and logo are clearly visible.

Day 4: versions, posting and the form

Export a 9:16 version for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts, and a 16:9 version if needed. Check the formats and export settings and the safe zone: in vertical video, the bottom-right corner is often covered by the app interface, so make sure the watermark stays visible. Post with the hashtags and tags, then fill in the form.

08Frequently asked questions

Do I need a paid ElevenLabs subscription to enter?

No. The rules say no purchase or paid subscription is needed to enter or win. Any credits you choose to buy are at your own expense.

Can I make an ad for a real brand?

Only if you are an agency or a studio with the client’s written permission. For a solo creator, the brand must be invented, with no real logo, character or likeness used without permission.

Can my ad be in Darija or French?

Yes, with English subtitles. An ad with neither dialogue nor subtitles is accepted too.

Who keeps the rights to the ad?

You keep ownership of your ad. But by entering, you grant ElevenLabs a worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, edit and share it in its communication, including paid promotion, whether you win or not.

Have a real brand and want a short ad that sticks? That is my job: I make video ads, from script to final edit. Let’s talk about your project.