Produce a suite of fun, clever, and informative unboxing videos that physically represent the free digital financial tools available through Navy Federal Credit Union.
*This project is only open to filmmakers based in the United States.*
To help navigate these uncertain economic times, Navy Federal Credit Union offers free digital financial tools to support smarter money management and greater peace of mind. These tools/benefits adapt to members' lifestyles, making it easier for them to understand where their money is going each month, while also helping them track spending, budget effectively, and monitor their credit. The goal is to give both members and potential members more confidence and visibility into their financial lives.
The goal of this project is to create one :60 hero video along with a two distinct cutdowns that put a unique spin on the typical "unboxing" social video. At their core unboxing videos are a fun and popular way of revealing new products that taps into that element of suspense and surprise. Because the tools/benefits that Navy Federal offers aren't physically tangible - being digital tools or services/advice/tips helping to build financial wellness - they are looking for an imaginative and engaging way to represent these tools in a physical way. How these digital tools/benefits are represented as being "unboxed" is entirely up to you and you can visit the Background section for more information about the specific tools Navy Federal wants to feature along with their key messaging. While Navy Federal wants to show these tools in a unique way the main focus should still be highlighting the benefits of them and how they improve the quality of one's financial life, rather than just focusing on how cool and convenient they are. Essentially, Navy Federal wants these videos to be more than just slick visuals and neat tools on offer, and instead want to match the slick visuals with messaging, whether through on-screen text or VO, that leaves the audience seeing the utility in actually putting these tools to work.
In terms of format and execution, Navy Federal is primarily looking for live-action executions, but if you have a particularly interesting idea, they are also open to animation, motion graphics, and even stop motion, so long as the proposed idea does not come across as too "youthful." Knowing that the brand is looking for particularly savvy social content, "live-action" can include selfie-style content or even green-screen formats that blend some live action with other visuals that provide an individuals perspective on the available resources. This can be smartphone-shot content with more limited lighting and production design, or it can be (a little) more polished and professional, as long as the core focus remains on the unboxing component and how you elevate it. Navy Federal wants to see clever, unexpected, and out-of-the-box - pun definitely intended - ways to spotlight these financial tools but they're also open to additional ideas that don't focus solely on the "unboxing" trend. Maybe you have an idea on how to represent individual tools like a cheeky game show concept revealing the prize of a potted orchid from behind curtains or doors to represent the Bloom+ feature. While open to alternative concepts do keep in mind that it's pertinent to keep the idea of suspense, reveal, and surprise.
At their heart, these videos are brand awareness pieces that share information that can be further expanded upon through Navy Federal's resource hub. They're not looking for overly elaborate "commercial" executions and the brand is most interested in having these videos feel native to social platforms. They do not want these videos to come off as generic, obvious advertisements. If casting live-action, the brand is open to reusing the same cast, locations, and even music across all videos. Captions will need to burned into the final videos for any spoken word or VO adhering to a set of provided brand guidelines. Please consider how this might impact your visuals keeping the text safe zones for the respective social platforms in mind.
As noted above there will be the main :60 hero video tailored toward Navy Federal's current members. There will be two versions of the accompanying :15 cutdowns. One cutdown will be a direct lift from the longer hero video. For the second cutdown we want to tailor the video to speak to prospects who are not currently Navy Federal members, making them aware of the tools and benefits the come with membership. For this second "Prospects" cutdown, additional scripting will be needed to speak to this audience. While the cutdowns can be created visually with direct pulls from the main hero videos, some thought should be put into how the 9x16 versions will be optimized for vertical; as they should not simply be a center-cut reframing.
In your Pitch, please clearly lay out your creative approach and how you plan on executing your concept. Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 5 total video assets.
EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE
RELEVANT ASSETS: 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 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.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
TONE/FEEL: Informative, fun, helpful, positive
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects do move forward, we'll 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 project team.
TOOLS AND BENEFITS TO FEATURE:
HELPFUL REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION/TONE:
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.
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 REQUIREMENTS: Prior to the commencement of actual production, creators MUST receive final approval from the Sponsor on the elements below. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until an element is approved.
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: Jingle Punks and Universal Production 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 choose to 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.