Produce a heartwarming animated holiday video for Lowe's to help them wish all of their shoppers a Merry Christmas.
The holiday season is upon us! Soon, homes around the world will be filled with the sounds of merriness and cheer, the scent of freshly baked treats, and the sight of wrapped presents being carried into the home with... Lowe's 5-gallon blue buckets? Well, maybe it won't happen exactly like that, but Lowe's has always been a big part of the holiday season for millions of people, whether you're picking up a few fresh strands of twinkle lights, gifting your aunt an electric lawnmower, or fixing up that drafty window in the guest room. They're as excited as ever to celebrate this year, and now they want your help to bring that joy to life.
The goal of this project is to produce a heartwarming and visually beautiful :15 animated vertical video that helps Lowe's express warm Christmas wishes to all of their customers. Thoughtfully incorporating Lowe's branding will be a key element to this, whether that means we're seeing a Lowe's storefront, an interior view of the store, or something as simple as their iconic blue Lowe's bucket. The logo and branding should come through, and you'll want to weave these elements into the Christmas theme in a way that helps connect the dots for the viewer. This Christmas video from 2024 should give you a good sense of the look and feel that Lowe's is looking for, and you should note that there's no "narrative" in that example, nor is there messaging or specific product, apart from "Merry Christmas," because they're not trying to sell something here.
This video will go live on Christmas Day, so above all this video needs to have the right vibes, with emotionally satisfying imagery and music that can delight people on one of the country's most special holidays. By sharing this video on Christmas, Lowe's wants to reinforce for their community that they are not just a store, but a natural part of people's homes and traditions.
In terms of execution, Lowe's is ultimately open to any type of animation for this project, but some form of stop-motion or 2D are probably best, and 3D may work if you're able to pull it off within this timeframe. Creatively, things are pretty wide open, and you are fully empowered to work in as much Christmas holiday magic as you wish.
It's important to note on this project is fast moving, so part of your pitch treatment should be dedicated to laying out how your animation team is able to work quickly and efficiently while still delivering a high quality video. Since pre-production will be expedited significantly, you should aim to have your concept should strong in your pitch, and be able to give Lowe's an immediate sense of how your video will look and feel. Be sure to refer to the timeline below to ensure your confident in your animation process and delivering within this tight window.
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There is one total video asset
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: Current and prospective Lowe's shoppers
TONE/FEEL: Celebratory, heartwarming
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
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 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.