Produce a suite of five funny, meme-able, and self-deprecating TikTok videos that make Aaron's relatable to a younger audience by demonstrating that it's not your parent's rent-to-own company.
Even when money's tight and your credit isn't great, sometimes you still need to make a large household purchase - and getting turned down for a payment plan can be frustrating and demoralizing. That's where Aaron's comes in, with their rent-to-own model for furniture, appliances, and electronics. Aaron’s is ready to approve people that other stores turn down, because they recognize that your credit score isn’t the whole story. They offer a huge selection of products - everything from sofas to oven ranges and lawnmowers - with affordable rent-to-own payments that help you make the purchase you need in a way that fits your budget.
Aaron's has been around since 1955, but they're NOT your parent's rent-to-own company, and to help raise awareness about the brand and make its rent-to-own offerings relatable to a younger audience, Aaron's is looking for THREE different creators to each produce a suite of FIVE distinct TikTok videos that are funny, irreverent, and inherently meme-able. The goal of this project is to make rent-to-own sexy to Gen Z. There aren't a ton of messaging guardrails, so think creatively about how to make Aaron's relatable to this audience.
Similar to the TikTok presence of brands like Ryanair and Crocs, Aaron's wants to make fun of itself in a way that makes people think about the brand in a new way. Make sure to check out the Background for more specific TikTok examples from these brands that Aaron's hopes to to emulate.
Your five video concepts should be distinct, but you CAN use the same cast and/or location across several videos. Aaron's is also open to both live-action and animation executions, so long as your concepts feel native to the TikTok platform and lean into the trends and styles that would organically come across your "For You" page. These videos are NOT meant to feel like ads.
Your pitch treatment should include at least FIVE unique video concepts, and if you're selected, Aaron's will provide feedback and help finesse your concepts during the pre-production phase. Your ideas do NOT need to take place inside an Aaron's store (in fact, we imagine most ideas won't), but if your creative concept calls for it, Aaron's CAN provide access to a store to help your vision come to life. One caveat: if you do film inside an Aaron's store, you CANNOT any product prices. Please note that the vast majority of locations are in the US, with a handful in Canada, and there aren't any Aaron's locations in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Check out this Store Locator.
We also encourage you to submit an optional proof-of-concept video that illustrates how your idea would come to fruition. Your proof of concept should be designed for TikTok, shot in a 9x16 aspect ratio, and up to 15 seconds. You can even create your proof-of-concept video in the TikTok app itself. Feel free to include links to any existing social videos (they don't have to be your own) that represent the style you'd be aiming for.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: Each creator will produce 5 total video assets.
TIMELINE: HERE
EXPOSURE: We anticipate content will be used on the platforms listed below, but if casting talent, please be sure your talent reviews the required Talent Release, as it is not limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices page.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Gen Z and Millennials who might have bad credit and benefit from Aaron's rent-to-own offerings
TONE: Cheeky, fun, irreverent, informal, helpful
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects on our platform do move forward, we will notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any submissions via the project forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and the project team.
ASPIRATIONAL TIKTOK BRAND - RYANAIR:
Ryanair leans into their reputation as a low-budget airline with self-deprecating humor that's funny, surprisingly candid, and relatable to their customer. As you'll see in the examples below, they rely heavily on TikTok trends like the big eyes and mouth filter to personify their planes and almost make them a character unto themselves. Check out some examples below:
ASPIRATIONAL TIKTOK BRAND - CROCS:
Crocs' TikTok presence is also self-deprecating, and they intentionally play on people's perceptions that Crocs are "ugly" shoes by creating content that shows die-hard haters turning into believers. In the Trick Shot example below, you'll see they use Crocs in an unexpected way that's visually cool and engaging. Crocs also leans heavily into TikTok trends to make their content feel as organic as possible. Examples below:
In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your pitch submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.
The three most compelling pitches will be greenlit, and the responsible creators 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. Please see the full payment schedule.
PRE-PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS: Prior to shooting, filmmakers must receive the below approvals from the Sponsor.
For your convenience, we’ve provided some helpful templates to use at your discretion. They include templates for creating a treatment, production budget, storyboards, shot list, call sheet, and a music cue sheet. Additionally, there are templates that will help you clearly present cast, location, and wardrobe options to the Sponsor. They can all be accessed here.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Tongal supports inclusivity in all of our productions and strongly encourages you to hire diverse talent for your team. To find staff & crew in your area, check out these resources and partners.
REVISION REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: Once the Video Phase has closed, the greenlit submitters will enter the Revisions Phase. Filmmakers 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 any music from a library for your content, you MUST use one of Tongal's three music providers - Jingle Punks, Universal Production Music and Epidemic Sound. 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 about using each of these music providers, click on any of the providers’ names above.
If you choose to use custom or 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 content 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 beforehand, and an account will be created for you to access the library and its features. Once your video submissions are approved by the Sponsor, 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 the costs associated the hard drive and shipping.
To ensure a smoother delivery, please review the Export Presets, Specifications, and Project File Organization Tutorial in our Filmmaker Resource Portal.