HELPFUL REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION/TONE:
Have you ever found yourself wondering who invented the lawn mower? Or for that matter, when people even started having "yards" and growing grass in them, or why? There are so many elements like this that go into making a house a home, and a plot of land a yard, and the more you start to wonder about the history of all of these now-common elements of home improvement, the more fascinating it becomes. Lowe's is thinking about it this way too, and now they want to go even further down the rabbit hole of home-improvement history.
The goal of this project is to produce a series of three different interesting, fun, and historically accurate social videos, each about 60 seconds in length, and each diving into the history of one item or topic related to home improvement. We'll address potential items and topics in a bit, but whatever you go with, Lowe's is going to be looking for strong narrative storytelling, with a creative approach that's visually engaging, energetic, and maybe even a little unexpected. You'll want to take the audience all the way from the item's origin up to how it functions for us in today's world, and make sure there are enough interesting elements in each story that you're able to keep the audience engaged throughout.
Lowe's would really like to explore home improvement items or topics that most people may not know about and bring those fun facts to life in an interesting, dynamic way. They'd like something that actually has an interesting story behind it too, so you should think about how unique or compelling the facts are as you do your research. Additionally, you should consider the season we're in when ideating; since Summer and early Fall are big windows for outdoor work and more construction-type home improvement, it might be a good idea to find items in these realms to discuss. They're wide open to suggestions though, whether it's exploring why people started growing grass in the yard, the sharing history of the lawn mower, or digging into useful factoids like why a 2x4 isn't actually 2" x 4" in size, for example, and you shouldn't limit yourself to these few suggestions, so if there's an idea you're passionate about, or if you happen to already have this little-known knowledge about a particular item, Lowe's is all ears!
In terms of execution, these videos are as much about visual style and flow as they are about the history, which means the world is your creative oyster, and all elements of live-action, animation (stop-motion, 2D, 3D) and maker content are on the table here. If you look at the creative reference in the Background, you'll see that each video has a distinct POV and unique visual style. We're open to any and all visual mediums to bring these to life. Of all the references, the brief history of imperfect fruit and vegetables is the one whose vibe Lowe's likes the most, so keep that in mind.
FOR YOUR PITCH: It's important to note that this is a relatively quick-moving project, with the first of three videos delivering at the end of August, so we'd like to see at least 3 items or topics, and your pitch materials should effectively breakdown how exactly you'd execute your videos, including your proposed location, talent options, and how you will handle the animation process (if applicable), etc. During the 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. It's also important to note that Lowe's is 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 timeframe.
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are three total video assets.
EXPECTED TIMELINE:
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 25-50, who are fans of and shop at Lowe’s, could be homeowners and/or interested in home improvement.
TONE/FEEL: Clever, entertaining, informative.
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.
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.