Produce a suite of authentic and direct-to-camera social videos for Lowe's that motivate people to take full advantage of the upcoming Member Week promotions.
When you're working on a construction project, whether as a professional contractor or as a homeowner who's doing it yourself, it's important to find the best deals on materials and supplies that you can. Not only does this get you the best bang for your buck, but it also allows you to do more, and in today's world when prices are constantly on the rise, that value is paramount. For Lowe's Rewards members, some of the best deals can be found during their Member Week events, when Lowe's offers members exclusive access to huge savings on much-needed products, tools, and home essentials. We're here to get the word out.
The goal of this project is to produce a suite of four short, simple, authentic, and social-first videos that help drive awareness and participation in Lowe's Member Week events. These videos need to be direct and to the point with their messaging, but they also need to feel organic to social media, which means we're okay with lo-fi production, so we're looking for something that might be described as clever and a little creator-inspired, highlighting the value of being a Lowe's member and encouraging viewers to take advantage of the exclusive member deals whenever they take place. Given that authenticity is key here, it's likely that a direct-to-camera approach makes the most sense for this content, but Lowe's is open to hearing some more creative takes too. Relatability is especially important as well - in your messaging, and in your conceptual approach - and homeowners and professional contractors need to feel that becoming a Lowe's member is easy to do, valuable, and well worth acting on, because it will offer them excellent savings on items they know they need.
The four videos will be split into two buckets, with two videos coming from the perspective of a "Homeowner," and two from the perspective of a "Pro," so in terms of approach, you'll want to cater your concepts to be specific to each. For example, shots of colorful paint aisles, home décor, interior lighting, or garden centers would signal a Homeowner more, whereas shots of lumber, electrical supplies, or power tools would be signal a Pro more. For both groups, the focus of these videos should always be on the amazing, exclusive deals that you can get during Member Week when signed up as a member, and the differences between the videos will be more about settings, products, and messaging specifics.
You will need to cast both a "Homeowner" and a "Pro" for this project. For the Homeowner, you'll want to cast someone (male or female) in their mid 20's - mid 40's, who feels both authentic and approachable. For the Pro, you'll want to cast a male, also mid 20's - mid 40's, with a solid, down-to-earth blue collar vibe. For all of the videos, Lowe's is looking to engage both English and Spanish-speaking viewers, so your goal should be to cast bilingual talent, and you should lean more towards American-accented Spanish, as opposed to other regional accents. If you have that perfect talent who you think could convincingly play both the Homeowner AND the Pro, you're welcome to propose this in your pitch, but you should remain open to casting two actors if necessary. We have solid references of each casting bucket in the Background to give you a better sense of what we're looking for here.
In terms of production approach, since we are keeping this more in the lo-fi space, you're welcome to shoot on the latest smartphones for efficiency. As you'll see in the content references in the Background, that approach is right on brand with the Lowe's social media canon, and lends itself to more authentic, relatable feeling content.
If greenlit for the project, you will be able to shoot at almost any Lowe's locations, and you'll want to propose which Lowe's you'd like to shoot in as part of your pitch treatment. You can use their Store Locator tool to find one nearest you, if needed. With that said, you also don't need to JUST shoot inside a Lowe's location - the brand is also very open to different exterior settings. For example, a Pro talking direct to camera about the huge savings on lumber they just got from Member Week while in the Lowe's parking lot could work great. The same concept could even work on a separate worksite for a Pro, or in a homeowner's garden who just found some amazing deals thanks to Member Week, etc. There's a lot of room for creativity within these settings without needing to get too bogged down by extensive production logistics, so feel free to present a variety of options in your pitch.
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 24 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: Adults ages 25-45. Homeowners and renters preparing for spring home and outdoor projects, looking for inspiration.
TONE/FEEL: Approachable, confident, authentic. Should feel like real people sharing real savings.
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
HELPFUL REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION/TONE:
HELPFUL CASTING REFERENCES:
Homeowner
Pro
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 Jingle Punks. 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.