10
January
2025
|
11:35 AM
America/New_York

Official Rules – Hambone Award

These are the Official Rules for the 2025 Nationwide Hambone Award Campaign ("Promotion"). The Promotion is sponsored by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company ("Nationwide"), One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215.  

No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Making a purchase will not increase the odds of winning.  

1. Eligibility.  

  • 1.1 Nomination Required. The Promotion is by invitation only for existing Nationwide pet insurance members who have been invited to be part of the 2025 Hambone Award campaign (collectively referred to as "Potential Nominees").  
  • 1.2. Open to Legal Residents. The Promotion is open to legal residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia, except where excluded and prohibited by law, who are 18 years of age or have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry, whichever is greater who are Nationwide pet insurance members and have been invited to participate by filling out the questionnaire. Excluding the states of Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wyoming. No purchase is necessary.  
  • 1.3. Nationwide Excluded. Employees and agents of Nationwide, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and any entity involved in the development, production, implementation, administration, or fulfillment of the Promotion (collectively referred to as "Promotion Entities") and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of such persons, whether related or not, are not eligible to enter the Promotion.  

2. How to Participate.  

  • 2.1. Nomination Process. Potential Nominees will be selected by Nationwide. Nationwide will contact Potential Nominees by email or phone with instructions for candidacy in Official Nominee selection and participation in the Promotion. Participation is voluntary and does not guarantee a spot as an Official Nominee. 
  • 2.2 Criteria for Official Nominee Selection. Potential Nominees must fully complete the questionnaire provided by Nationwide to be eligible for Promotion entry as an Official Nominee. Questionnaires must be completed by February 2, 2025. After the questionnaire deadline, Nationwide will use the answers submitted to select the Official Nominees for the Promotion. The judging criteria for the questionnaire to determine Official Nominees are as follows: (1) Detail provided in questionnaire answers – 50%; (2) Campaign activity scheduling availability – 50%. Up to 12 pets will be selected as Official Nominees from all completed questionnaires by officials selected by Nationwide. All decisions by the judges will be final. 
  • 2.3. Public Voting Period. Voting will be open to the public starting 8/5/2025 12:00 AM PST and ending on 8/12/2025 11:59 PM PST. ("Promotion Period"). Promotion Period dates may be subject to change. During the Promotion Period, the public will be able to vote for their favorite pet story using the buttons on the Official Nominee pages hosted at http://www.petinsurance.com/hamboneaward. Members of the public may vote for one (1) pet per day during the Promotion Period.  
  • 2.4. Restrictions. Limit one (1) vote per pet per day during the Promotion Period. Nationwide will disqualify anyone found to have submitted multiple entries.  
  • 2.5. Conditions. Nationwide reserves the right to disqualify Official Nominees, at their discretion, for reasons, including, but not limited to:  
  • a. violates or encourages any conduct that violates laws or regulations;  
  • b. uses AI or bot activity to inflate votes 
  • c. infringes any third party's Intellectual Property Rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other personal or proprietary rights;  
  • d. contains any information or content you do not have a right to make available under any law or contractual or fiduciary relations; or  
  • e. is fraudulent, false, misleading, or deceptive.  
  • 2.6. Participant's Consent. Entry constitutes consent to participate in Promotions and for Nationwide to obtain, use, and transfer the entrant's photo for Promotion administration purposes. By participating in the Promotion and/or accepting any prize, Entrants grant Nationwide permission to use their name, likenesses, and image in connection with the Promotion for purposes of advertising, publicity, and promotion purposes, without further compensation to the entrant, unless prohibited by law.  
  • 2.7. No Withdrawal. Once submitted, Nominees cannot be changed or withdrawn from the Promotion.  
  • 2.8. Notice of Termination. Should the Promotion be terminated before the stated expiration date, Nationwide will notify eligible Nominees by email.  

3. Winners. One (1) grand prize winner and two (2) runners up will be selected based on the number of votes collected during the Promotion Period. Winners will be notified no later than August 22, 2025. If a winner is not eligible to win or if Nationwide cannot contact the winner after a good faith effort, the prize will be forfeited. 

4. Winner Criteria. Winners will be selected based on vote accumulation during the Promotion Period. At the end of the Promotion Period, one (1) grand prize winner and two (2) runners up will be selected based on voting results. All ties will be broken by an alternative judge chosen by Nationwide and reserved for this specific purpose. All decisions will be final.  

5. Prizes. 

  • 5.1 Winners. The grand prize winner with the most votes accumulated at the end of the Promotion Period will receive one (1) Hambone Award trophy, one (1) $500 Petco gift card and a goody bag from Nationwide with an ARV of $100. Total Grand Prize ARV: $600. The two (2) runners up with the second and third most votes accumulated at the end of the Promotion Period will each receive one (1) $100 Petco gift card and a goody bag from Nationwide with an ARV of $100. ARV per runner up prize recipient: $200. Total ARV all runner-up prizes: $400. Total ARV of all Hambone Award campaign prizes: $1,000.  
  • 5.2 Expenses and Taxes. Prize winners are responsible for any expenses incurred in connection with the prizes. No substitution or transfer of prizes is permitted, except that Nationwide reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if an offered prize is unavailable. All federal, state, and local taxes on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winner. Prize details not set forth herein are the sole discretion of Nationwide.  
  • 5.3 Legal Documents. If requested, winners must execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability Release, and (where legal) Publicity Release within three days of notification. Failure to do so may result in disqualification, forfeiture, or award to an alternate winner.  

6. Release.  All entrants agree to release and hold harmless Nationwide, and its respective subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, advertising/promotion agencies, and prize suppliers, and each of their respective parent companies and each such company's shareholders, officers, directors, employees, members, assigns 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 Promotion or receipt or use or misuse of any prize.  

7. General Rules.  

  • 7.1. Applicable Laws. This promotion is governed by and subject to the laws of the United States and the state of Ohio without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. The Contest is void where prohibited by law. The prize winner may receive an IRS 1099 form for the value of their prizes. Entrants agree to be bound by the Official Rules and the judges' decisions, which are final and binding on all matters relating to Promotions.  
  • 7.2. No Responsibility. Nationwide, and each of its respective affiliates, subsidiaries, parent corporations, and their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, and agents, are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate entry information, theft, tampering, destruction, or unauthorized access to, or alteration of entries; printing or other errors; and any entries or mail which are late, lost, delayed, incomplete, misdirected, stolen, mutilated, illegible, postage-due, or any combination of the above.  
  • 7.3. Nationwide's Rights. Nationwide can void any entrant's entry who it believes has attempted to tamper with or impair Promotion administration, security, fairness, or proper play. Nationwide reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Promotion if necessary due to circumstances beyond Nationwide's control. If the Promotion is terminated early, the judges will select the winners from all eligible entries received at the time of termination.  

8. Governing Law and Disputes.  

  • 8.1. Governing Law. This Promotion is governed by and subject to the laws of the United States and the state of Ohio without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof.  
  • 8.2. Disputes. Except where prohibited, the entrant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties, and all claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Promotion or any prize awarded, or the determination of winner shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages or any other damages, including attorneys' fees. Entrant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.  

9. Privacy. By entering into this Promotion, you also agree to Nationwide's use of your personal information as described in the Nationwide Privacy Policy at http://www.petinsurance.com/privacy.aspx. 

10. Winner List.   For an Official Prize Winners List (available 30 days after Promotion end date) or a copy of these Official Rules, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: 2025 Hambone Award Official Rules, Nationwide - Marketing Department, One Nationwide Plaza, MC 1-28-101, Columbus, Ohio 43215.   

11. Abbreviated Rules.   No purchase is necessary. Potential nominees for the Hambone Award must be Nationwide pet insurance members and be invited to participate by filling out the questionnaire by 2/2/2025 11:59 PM PST. Questionnaire completion does not guarantee entry into the Hambone Award campaign. Public voting period for Official Hambone Award Nominees begins on 8/5/2025 12:00 AM PST and ending on 8/12/2025 11:59 PM PST. Hambone Award Nomination not available in GA, IN, KS, KY, ME, MN, MT, NH, PA, WA and WY.