Produce a pair of engaging, fresh, and innovative personality-driven social videos for Lowe's, and help promote their latest products for the summer season.
*Owing to product availability considerations, you must be able to receive product at an address in the U.S. or Canada*
Summertime has arrived, and with it, Lowe's is getting excited to roll out and promote of a wide variety of great seasonal products. To do that, they want to partner with a group of social-savvy creators and produce a variety of fresh video content for their social channels, all made to engage audiences and spread the word for consumers as they dive into summer projects. Lowe's really wants a diverse range of fun, fresh, and authentically social content, so they're looking for several different creators that can bring unique POVs and unexpected ideas approaches the mix.
The goal here is simply to produce two different relatable influencer-style videos for Lowe's social channels, each promoting select summer products, and running somewhere between :30 and :60. These videos are meant to be personality-driven, as if you were scrolling through your social channels and happened upon someone playfully showing you their "take" on the latest Lowe's products. Success is about finding a "unique POV" and coming at the topic from an unexpected angle, just like the best social content creators. It's not necessarily about comedy, but there's a confidence, a wit, and a cleverness that has a lot in common with comedy. Lowe's is ultimately looking to select at least 4 different creators for this project, and each would create a pair of live action videos, so you should consider pitching a variety of concepts based on the selected products list that's in the Relevant Assets.
Each video should include on at least one unique product, but Lowe's is hoping that one of your videos will be geared towards promoting a specific product from the list, and the other, while still include a product, will be more about promoting the season or a larger "brand truth." You'll see some great reference examples that touch on what we mean in the Background. The references should help give you a sense of the sandbox we're playing in, but we should note that Lowe's wants the content in this project to elevate the creative a bit more - to innovate and surprise, and maybe even go a little more out-of-the-box.
In terms of production, the live action component can be pretty simple, filmed with either a camera, iPhone, or other smartphone. Casting, however, will be important and should be one of the focal points of your pitch, since these videos are meant to be personality-driven. This project has the possibility of becoming a regular collaboration with Lowe's, so whether you're on camera yourself or you're working with talent that you cast, you'll want to present options that are open and available for future content on a semi-regular basis, at a similar budget level. As to your location, your approaches don't need to take place in a Lowe's store (they can be in home/yard or other relevant settings too), but we can work with Lowe's to get filming permission at a convenient nearby location, so it's probably a good idea to note where you're located and what store location would work best for you.
This is a fast moving project, with final delivery happening within a month's time, so we'll be looking to see a thorough breakdown in your pitch of how exactly you'd execute on your creative approaches, including your proposed location, etc.
During the pre-production window, you will be able to collaborate with Tongal and the Lowe's team, but the idea is to come to the pitch table with as fully-baked a plan as possible to make these videos happen quite quickly. Though this may not be as relevant given the live action nature of the project, it's important to note that Lowe's is also not allowing AI usage at any point throughout this project, so you have a look at the timeline below and ensure that you're properly equipped to handle all elements of this production within the clipped timeframe.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 2 total deliverables per creator
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 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 30-50) who are fans of/shoppers at Lowe's
TONE/FEEL: Fun, engaging, witty, social-savvy
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
AI USAGE: No AI usage of any kind is permitted on this project.
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.
HELPFUL REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION/TONE:
SEASONAL REFERENCE:
"BRAND TRUTH" REFERENCE:
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 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.