Who has to agree before a child's entry is promoted?
A parent or guardian has to agree, in writing, before we plan anything that shows a child's entry to strangers. The child's wish to take part is not enough, and neither is an organizer's sign-up form that the child filled in alone.
We ask for a short consent note for every entry that involves a minor. It states which entry we may promote, which photos or clips may be used, where they may appear and until when. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. When it is, the ads stop and the creative is removed.
The consent note, item by item
- Who the adult is and how they are related to the child.
- The exact entry and the contest it belongs to.
- Which images, video and first name (never a full name by default) may appear in ads.
- Whether the child may be shown in paid ads at all, or only the pet, the artwork or the performance.
- A contact for takedown requests.
Two rules that decide the project
If the adult who entered the child cannot be reached, we do not start. If the organizer's terms are silent on outside promotion for minors, we ask the organizer in writing and wait for the answer. Our page on projects we decline lists the cases where we say no.
How do platform age rules and organizer age brackets change the plan?
They decide who may be addressed by an ad and who may hold the account that casts a vote. There are three layers, and the strictest one wins.
- The contest's own bracket. Many youth contests split entrants into age groups and say who may vote. Voters under the age of majority sometimes need a parent to confirm their vote.
- The platform's minimum age. Each social network publishes the age at which a person may open an account. A child below it cannot vote through that network, and we never suggest a workaround.
- The ad system's rules. Advertising platforms restrict how audiences that include minors can be targeted, and some restrict the topics of ads that mention children. We read the current policy of the platform before we build any audience.
What this means in practice
We address adults: parents, grandparents, relatives, teachers, club members, neighbours and local communities. A child's entry is shown to the people who would reasonably want to support it. When voting asks for an email or phone step, the message is written for the adult who will complete it, in the way our guides on voting protection types describe.
When a platform's rules and an organizer's rules disagree, we follow the stricter one and tell you which it was.
How do you promote a child's entry without exposing the child?
By choosing what the ad shows and what it leaves out. The aim is that supporters recognise the entry, while strangers learn nothing about who the child is, where they live or where they study.
Creative rules we apply
- A first name or a nickname agreed with the parent, never a full name by default.
- No school uniform, school name, street, number plate or geotag in any image or video.
- Comments limited on ads that show a child wherever the platform allows it, and active moderation where it does not.
- The artwork, the performance or the pet in the foreground whenever the contest allows it.
Who sees the ad
Audiences are built around adults and communities: a town, a sports club, a parents' group, a hobby. We do not target by a child's characteristics. The platform labels paid placements as ads, and any creator post we arrange is disclosed as paid, as covered under influencer outreach.
You approve every image and sentence before launch. The creative and copy service produces the material, and the parent has the final word.
What differs between beauty, talent, school and pet contests?
Each type puts a different person at the centre, so each has its own consent, tone and risk. This table shows the decision rules we start from.
| Contest type | Who consents | What we promote | What we avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet and animal photo contests | The owner | The animal and its story | Personal details of the owner |
| Kids' art, photo and talent contests | Parent or guardian | The work or performance | Full name, school, location |
| Beauty and modelling contests | Parent or guardian for minors; the adult for themselves | The portfolio, the cause or the craft | Comparing looks with other entrants |
| School and university votes | Parent for minors; the school where its rules require it | The project, club or team | Pressure on classmates, voting in lesson time |
Notes on the two harder cases
Beauty contests need extra care because the entry is a person's appearance. We write about the story, the skill or the cause behind the entry. For minors we ask the organizer whether the contest has a child-safety policy, and we read it.
School and university votes are won by community. We help a class, club or department explain what the vote is for and remind supporters of the voting steps. We do not support shared-device voting meant to get around a one-vote limit.
What should a parent, club or school prepare before we start?
Prepare a small consent pack. It takes one evening and saves days later.
- The contest link, the full rules and the deadline with its time zone.
- The direct link to the entry and a plain description of how a supporter votes.
- A signed or emailed consent note from the parent or guardian, covering the points above.
- Three to five approved images or clips with anything identifying already removed.
- One sentence, in the family's own words, about why this entry matters.
- The name of one adult who will answer takedown requests and questions from the organizer.
If some of it is missing, the free contest analysis is the place to start, and we tell you what to add. The rules and risk check lists the questions to put to the organizer, including those about minors.
Where does our responsibility stop on a youth contest?
Organizers decide who may enter and vote, and ad platforms judge each audience and creative one ad at a time; both can change a plan after launch. We stay within the stricter rule, keep the consent trail, and pause at once if an organizer or a platform objects. We never promise a rank or a number of votes for a child or a pet.
The next step is small. Send the contest link, the rules, the entry and the deadline through the free contest analysis, and tell us whether a minor is involved. We reply with what the rules allow, which consent we need and a written quote you can approve before anything starts. See also contest marketing.
How it works
- Consent noteThe parent or guardian signs off on the entry, the images and a takedown contact before anything is planned.
- Rules and age checkWe read the contest terms, the voting steps and the age rules of each platform, and write down the stricter rule.
- Adult-facing plan and quoteWe agree audiences of parents, relatives and local communities, and confirm the quote in writing.
- Approval of every creativeYou approve each image and sentence, with names, schools and locations removed.
- Launch, daily reports, takedown on requestAds run with daily reporting from platform analytics, and stop the day consent is withdrawn.
Frequently asked questions
Does a teenager still need a parent's permission for a contest entry?
Yes. For any entrant under the age of majority we ask for a parent's or guardian's written agreement before promotion starts, even when the organizer's form let the teenager sign up alone. The note names the entry, the images that may be used and a contact for takedown requests. Where your country's age of majority differs from the contest's own age bracket, we follow the stricter of the two.
Can the ads show my child's face?
Only if you agree in the consent note and the contest allows it. Our default is the work, the pet or the performance in the foreground, with a first name or nickname instead of a full name. Many families choose the artwork or the pet rather than the face, and the campaign reads just as warmly. You approve every image before launch and can withdraw consent at any time.
How does a pet contest differ from a children's contest?
The consent comes from the owner, and the main privacy question concerns the owner rather than the animal: we leave out the home address, the neighbourhood and the family's full names. The rest of the work is the same: a rules check, an adult audience that enjoys animals, and daily reporting.
How should a school or club ask its members to vote?
With a plain message that says what the vote is for, how many steps it has and when it closes, sent to people who agreed to receive it. We do not support one device or one account voting for many people, because that gets around a one-vote limit and puts the entry at risk of removal. If a voter is under the age of majority, check whether the contest asks for a parent's confirmation.
What happens if my child changes their mind midway?
The ads stop on the day you tell us, and creative that shows the child is removed from our files and from the ad account. We then give you a short list of what stays public that we do not control, such as shares and comments by other people.
How much does it cost to promote a child's or pet's entry?
The cost has two parts: the ad budget you set, paid to the platform, and our fee for planning, creative, management and reporting. The fee depends on platforms, countries, campaign length and how much creative is needed, so we quote it on request and confirm it in writing before work starts. The budget planner shows what we ask you for.
Can you promise my child's entry will win?
No. We promise the agreed work: the consent check, the plan, the launch, daily reports and honest projections that are labelled as projections. Votes come from supporters, and the field of other entrants is outside our reach, so we never promise a win, a rank or a number of votes.
Free starters on WhatsApp
Pick one. It opens a prepared message so we know what you need.
Replies usually arrive within 10-30 minutes in working hours (Mon-Fri 09:00-21:00 GMT+3). We do not share your contest details.
Tell us about your contest
Answer four quick questions and we reply with a plan and the next step. The free contest analysis comes first, and any quote is confirmed in writing before work starts.
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