Official Rules

1. Sponsor

The Style Sonata $500 Video Challenge is sponsored solely by:

Style Sonata
FACS LLC
Email: contact@stylesonata.com

Style Sonata is referred to throughout these rules as the “Sponsor.” Nordstrom, Instagram, Meta, and the brands featured in individual entries are not sponsors of this challenge.

2. Eligibility

The challenge is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Employees, officers, contractors, judges, and representatives of the Sponsor—as well as their immediate family members and members of their households—are not eligible. This challenge is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

3. Challenge Period

The challenge begins at 12:00 a.m. PT on July 24, 2026, and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on August 31, 2026. Entries received or completed after the deadline will not be eligible. The Sponsor’s records and timekeeping system will serve as the official timekeeper.

4. Entry Requirements

A complete entry must satisfy every step listed in the “How to Enter” section. Each entry must:

  • Be 30 seconds

  • Be presented vertically

  • Feature one item found at a Nordstrom store

  • Be filmed and created by the entrant

  • Be posted as an Instagram Reel

  • Tag @StyleSonata

  • Include #StyleSonataChallenge

  • Be submitted to Style Sonata by direct message

  • Remain publicly viewable through the winner announcement

  • Comply with these Official Rules

Incomplete, inaccessible, deleted, late, or incorrectly tagged entries may be disqualified.

5. Originality and Content Standards

The entrant must own or control all rights to the submitted video, including its footage, narration, music, photographs, graphics, and other creative elements. The entry must not:

  • Contain generative-AI content or prohibited AI alterations

  • Copy another creator’s work

  • Use retailer or brand footage downloaded from the internet

  • Infringe copyrights, trademarks, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other rights

  • Include a recognizable person without their permission

  • Contain unlawful, hateful, threatening, dangerous, discriminatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise inappropriate material

  • Misrepresent a product or its features

  • Encourage unsafe behavior

  • Disrupt store operations

Entrants may use original audio or music offered through Instagram’s authorized music library.

6. Store Photography and Personal Conduct

Participants must follow all photography and recording policies established by the store. Do not record customers, employees, or other identifiable individuals without their permission. Do not block aisles, interfere with employees, move merchandise without permission, or disrupt the shopping experience. If store personnel ask you to stop filming, you must stop immediately. The Sponsor is not responsible for obtaining permission to film inside any store. Each entrant is responsible for obtaining any permission required for their entry.

7. Judging Criteria

Eligible entries will be evaluated by a panel selected by Style Sonata according to the following criteria:

  • Creativity and originality: 35%

  • Styling and fashion point of view: 30%

  • Storytelling and video presentation: 20%

  • Following the challenge brief: 15%

The number of likes, comments, shares, or followers an entrant has will not determine the winner. In the event of a tie, the entry receiving the higher creativity and originality score will prevail. If a tie remains, the entry with the higher styling and fashion point-of-view score will prevail.mAll judging decisions are final.

8. Winner Notification

The potential winner will be contacted only through the official @StyleSonata Instagram account. Style Sonata will never ask a winner to pay a fee, provide payment information, or purchase anything to receive the prize. The potential winner must respond within 48 hours and may be required to provide:

  • Full legal name

  • Email address

  • Mailing address

  • Proof of age and eligibility

  • Original video files or metadata

  • An eligibility declaration

  • A liability and publicity release, where permitted

If the potential winner does not respond within 48 hours, cannot verify eligibility, fails to provide requested original files, or is found to have violated these rules, the Sponsor may select an alternate winner based on the judging results.

9. Prize

One verified winner will receive a $500 Nordstrom Gift Card. The approximate retail value of the prize is $500. The gift card is subject to the issuer’s applicable terms and conditions. The prize is not transferable, may not be assigned, and cannot be substituted for cash except where required by law. The winner is responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes associated with accepting the prize. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

10. Permission to Use Entries

Entrants retain ownership of their original work. By entering, each participant grants Style Sonata a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to reproduce, repost, display, distribute, crop, resize, and format the entry for purposes related to:

  • Promoting the challenge

  • Presenting finalists

  • Announcing the winner

  • Sharing challenge results

  • Promoting Style Sonata’s editorial and social-media coverage

This permission will remain valid for 24 months following the winner announcement. Style Sonata will provide creator credit when reasonably practical. No additional compensation will be provided for an authorized use of an entry.

11. Disqualification

Style Sonata may disqualify an entry or participant who:

  • Does not follow these Official Rules

  • Submits AI-generated or AI-altered content

  • Provides false or misleading information

  • Attempts to manipulate judging or engagement

  • Uses multiple accounts to submit additional entries

  • Copies or infringes another person’s work

  • Engages in harassment, fraud, or inappropriate conduct

  • Interferes with the operation of the challenge

  • Fails to provide requested verification

The Sponsor’s decisions concerning eligibility and disqualification are final.

12. Technical Problems

The Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, corrupted, inaccessible, deleted, misdirected, or incorrectly tagged entries. The Sponsor is also not responsible for internet interruptions, platform outages, account restrictions, Instagram errors, direct-message failures, or other circumstances outside the Sponsor’s reasonable control. If fraud, technical problems, unauthorized interference, or another circumstance affects the integrity of the challenge, the Sponsor may suspend, modify, extend, or cancel it as reasonably necessary, subject to applicable law.

13. Release and Limitation of Liability

By participating, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, Instagram, Meta, Nordstrom, participating brands, and their respective owners, officers, employees, contractors, representatives, and agents from claims arising from:

  • Participation in the challenge

  • Creation or publication of an entry

  • Filming inside a retail location

  • Acceptance or use of the prize

  • An authorized use of the entry

  • Personal injury, property damage, or infringement caused by the entrant

Nothing in these rules limits rights that cannot legally be waived.

14. Privacy

Personal information collected from entrants will be used to administer the challenge, verify eligibility, contact finalists or winners, deliver the prize, and comply with applicable law. Information will be handled according to the Style Sonata Privacy Policy: [PRIVACY POLICY LINK].

15. Platform and Retailer Disclaimer

This challenge is sponsored solely by Style Sonata. It is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram, Meta, Nordstrom, or any brand featured in an entrant’s video. By entering, each participant completely releases Instagram and Meta from responsibility related to the challenge. Any Nordstrom or brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used only to identify the location and merchandise connected to the challenge.

16. Governing Law

Except where prohibited, these Official Rules and the challenge will be governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute not resolved informally will be subject to the courts located in San Francisco County, California, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

17. Winner Information

After the winner has been verified, the winner’s name or Instagram handle may be posted on the Style Sonata website and social-media accounts. Requests for winner information may be sent to [CONTEST EMAIL] through October 5, 2026.

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