Produce a trendy, fun, and energetic video for Lowe's that gets shoppers excited about the expanded product options that they have available online in a multitude of categories.
*Owing to product availability considerations, you must be able to receive product at an address in the U.S. or Canada*
As the world evolves, so too does the ease and convenience of online shopping, and although there will always be benefits to shopping in-store, it's hard to beat the speed at which you can find exactly what you're looking for online. It's great, and not only is Lowe's here for the party, but they're excited about the flexibility that they offer shoppers, with an expanded selection of products that are only available for online shoppers. To promote that expanded selection, they want to create some video content that'll excite folks everywhere.
The goal of this project is to produce a single energetic, dynamic, and polished live action video that makes people aware of and excited about Lowe's expanded online product assortment, with thousands of new items now being available exclusively online across many categories. Inherently, online shopping involves a lot of screens, but that's not just visually interesting on its own, so the creative key challenge here is developing an interesting live action approach that offers an effective way to promote online shopping while still feeling visually interesting, relevant, and energetic. Lowe's is open to almost any approach, so long as it's centered on online and in-app shopping, and showcases how their expanded product offerings makes it so much easier for shoppers to find the perfect piece for their home. It's also important that we don't make a point to deter in-person shopping, so you should avoid any direct comparisons to in-store shopping.
The main takeaway we want people to feel here is that Lowe's is the top go-to place for variety and quality when it comes to online shopping, so anytime you're on their app or website, you're setting yourself up for a win. The audience we're targeting are the creative upgraders of the world, so when talking about products you should lean into the notion that Lowe's large wide online selection features unique, on-trend items that cater each person's unique style and home, whether that be ready-made products for the home, or a new tool to help get the renovation job done. The visuals should be colorful, the camera movements fluid, and the transitions dynamic, reflecting the energy that our shoppers feel when making the special purchase that's going to take their space or their environment to that next level.
Given the grand scope of how many online-only items we're promoting availability for, it's likely a good idea to showcase variety and uniqueness in your video. So when it comes to casting, you'll want to consider how this applies to your concept overall. Whether that's multiple locations featuring completely separate "storylines", or finding a narrative that supports one world of online shopping, you'll want to cast a diverse mix of men and woman in the 25-40 age range that radiate creativity, excitement, and confidence, though you don't necessarily need to cast a large group if it makes sense for your concept. It's not mandatory that you have multiple individual locations, but whatever location(s) you do use should offer a variety of rooms or settings to ensure that the video doesn't feel like it's tied to a single space. There will almost certainly be specific products that Lowe's will want to feature in the video (which will be solidified in pre-production and provided by Lowe's as needed), some of which may require using power tools to install, so you should make sure to know what level of tool-usage your talent is comfortable with when sourcing casting options, just to be on the safe side.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are four total video assets.
EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE
EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used on the platforms below, but if casting talent, be sure they review our required Talent Release before they're cast, as we CANNOT guarantee that usage is limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Men and women ages 25-40 who like to creatively upgrade their homes
TONE/FEEL: Trendy, energetic, fun, cinematic
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
HELPFUL REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION/TONE: Lowe's specifically like the energy of this video, but also the visual transitions that come from dynamic camera movements.
In order to be considered, include the below materials in your submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery. All Pitches remain private, even after a Pitch is selected, and Tongal strives to have Pitch selections made by the end of the Evaluation period, but additional time may be required by the Sponsor, depending on any number of factors. Unless specifically requested, there's no need to include a budget with your submission.
The most compelling pitch will be greenlit by the Sponsor, and the responsible creator will then receive an email from Tongal producers detailing next steps. All submitters will also receive an automated email notification that a selection has been announced. To ensure you’re receiving project updates, review your email settings to check that you haven’t unsubscribed.
Creators who’ve been selected will receive funding upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment. Payment of the pitch funds is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal, typically included with the project timeline.
PRE-PRODUCTION BIBLE & APPROVALS: Prior to the commencement of actual production, creators MUST prepare a singular pre-production "bible" document with the elements contained below, and that document MUST receive final approval from the Sponsor. We recommend that you use the bible template we provide HERE, or something very similar. The bible can be presented in stages as different elements are ready for review (i.e. it's not expected that storyboards, if required, are ready with your first draft). Apart from the below, you're also welcome to include other key items that you think would be helpful to communicate your plan (e.g. moodboards, lighting, music, shot list, etc.).
Note that there may be multiple rounds of feedback until elements are approved, and if you begin production before you have received final approval, you may need to reshoot or reanimate at your own expense.
For convenience, we've provided some helpful templates that you can consider using for pre-production materials, and they can all be accessed here.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Looking for help? Post crew and production opportunities connected to Tongal projects on Backlot. Backlot includes search tools to help you find collaborators and crew by role, skill set, location, and more, for productions of any size and type. Tongal also supports inclusivity in all productions, and strongly encourages you to hire diverse talent for your team. To find additional options for staff & crew in your area, check out these resources and partners.
REVISION REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: Once Content has been submitted and the initial Production Phase completed, greenlit creators will enter into Revisions. Creators will perform reasonable edits on their videos according to the Sponsor's feedback. Check out our Filmmaker Resource Portal to access helpful post-production resources like Text-Safe Guides for different platforms, Project File Organization Tutorial, Export Presets, and Captioning services.
MUSIC: If you use music from a library for your content, you MUST use one of Tongal's music providers: Universal Production Music, PrimalHouse, or Slipstream Music. Music from these providers is available to registered Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into submissions to this project, and will not require a Music Release Form. To learn more, click on any of the providers' names above.
If you use original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. Please ensure your composer reviews and signs this form BEFORE beginning their work.
STOCK FOOTAGE: Tongal has partnered with the stock footage library Storyblocks, which can be used to source video clips, photography, and After Effects templates for your video submission to this project. Video or photo content from Storyblocks is available at no charge, solely for incorporation into submissions on this project, and will not require a separate Release Form. If identifiable people or intellectual property appears in a video clip or photo, you may only utilize assets that are clearly marked “Model released: Yes” or “Property release: Yes” on the clip description pages. You may NOT use any audio.
If you intend to use Storyblocks, inform your Tongal producer, and an account will be created for you to access the library. Once assets are approved for delivery, you must provide a complete list of all Storyblocks content that you used via our template HERE.
ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec in order to submit final payment. You are responsible for any costs associated with the hard drive and shipping. Tongal also reserves the right to request all raw files associated with the project.
To ensure a smoother delivery, please review the Export Presets, Specifications, and Project File Organization Tutorial in our Filmmaker Resource Portal.