Produce a suite of authentic and direct-to-camera social videos, in English and Spanish, for Lowe's that motivate people to take full advantage of their Spring Into deals
Spring is a natural reset moment for home improvement. With the weather warming up and homeowners getting back outside after a cold winter, it's inevitable that certain projects will need to be tackled in order to enjoy the warmer months properly. Lowe's knows this better than anyone, and that is why SpringFest has become such a valuable and exciting moment for their shoppers each year, finding great deals to start their season off right. And it's time for us to help Lowe's get folks excited for this year's SpringFest event.
The goal of this project is to produce a suite of three exciting simple, and authentic :06-:15 social-first videos, in both English and Spanish, that help drive awareness and participation in Lowe's SpringFest event. SpringFest is an exciting time, and your videos should highlight that excitement, while encouraging viewers to take advantage of the deals that SpringFest has to offer. To do this well, authenticity is going to be important: both creatively, in how you convey SpringFest to the audience, but also in format, adhering to organic social video best practices. Your videos also need to be direct with to-the-point messaging without losing the celebratory sense of excitement of SpringFest. We're looking for videos that are clever and inspired by successful social media formats, like a direct-to-camera approach. Lowe's is open to your creative POV, and even to lo-fi executions if they make sense for the format you're pitching. Above all, relatability is especially important – in your messaging and in your conceptual approach, as these videos need to feel like you're watching real people sharing how they're getting ready for spring.
Your videos should generally focus around key SpringFest categories, such as Lawn & Garden, Outdoor Power Equipment, Grills, Patios, etc. For all three videos, the primary focus should always be on the amazing, exciting deals happening during SpringFest, so specific products will not be provided or highlighted. It's more about showing how Lowe's makes spring projects affordable, approachable, and doable, so you can think of each category as more of a setting, or "theme" for the type of spring project your talent might be taking on.
In terms of talent, you'll want to cast someone (male or female) in their mid 20's - mid 40's, who feels both authentic and approachable. Above all, your talent should possess that "everyday homeowner energy" as, again, relatability is critical to the success of these videos and connecting with Lowe's target audience in a meaningful way. For all of the videos, Lowe's is looking to engage both English and Spanish-speaking viewers, and final delivery will include both English and Spanish versions of each video, so your goal should be to cast bilingual talent. You should lean more towards American-accented Spanish, as opposed to other regional accents. If you're pitching concepts where talent speaks directly to camera, we'd strongly advise casting bilingual talent, unless you want to shoot the content twice and propose both casting options for each video. If your concept doesn't require on-screen dialogue, then you could cast both English and Spanish VO talent. Check out the content references in the Background.
Filming at a Lowe's is required, so your pitch treatment should include one or more Lowe's near you you'd prefer to shoot in. If greenlit, Lowe's will help match you to a location near you. You can use their Store Locator tool to find one nearest you. 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 (yards, gardens, etc). 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. This approach is right on brand with the Lowe's social media canon, and lends itself to more authentic, relatable-feeling content. All this to say, 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 18 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:
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.
For these references below, these videos work well for Lowe's because they lean into creator-led storytelling, real-life project scenarios, and platform-native execution—making the content feel authentic, helpful, and value-forward rather than promotional. This are key considerations you should keep in mind when ideating your own concepts.
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. 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.