Background

HELPFUL REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION/TONE:


HELPFUL CASTING REFERENCES:


Homeowner


Pro

Objectives

When you're working on a construction project, whether as a professional contractor or as a homeowner who's doing it yourself, it's important to find the best deals on materials and supplies that you can. Not only does this get you the best bang for your buck, but it also allows you to do more, and in today's world when prices are constantly on the rise, that value is paramount. For Lowe's Rewards members, some of the best deals can be found during their Member Week events, when Lowe's offers members exclusive access to huge savings on much-needed products, tools, and home essentials. We're here to get the word out.


The goal of this project is to produce a suite of four short, simple, authentic, and social-first videos that help drive awareness and participation in Lowe's Member Week events. These videos need to be direct and to the point with their messaging, but they also need to feel organic to social media, which means we're okay with lo-fi production, so we're looking for something that might be described as clever and a little creator-inspired, highlighting the value of being a Lowe's member and encouraging viewers to take advantage of the exclusive member deals whenever they take place. Given that authenticity is key here, it's likely that a direct-to-camera approach makes the most sense for this content, but Lowe's is open to hearing some more creative takes too. Relatability is especially important as well - in your messaging, and in your conceptual approach - and homeowners and professional contractors need to feel that becoming a Lowe's member is easy to do, valuable, and well worth acting on, because it will offer them excellent savings on items they know they need. 


The four videos will be split into two buckets, with two videos coming from the perspective of a "Homeowner," and two from the perspective of a "Pro," so in terms of approach, you'll want to cater your concepts to be specific to each. For example, shots of colorful paint aisles, home décor, interior lighting, or garden centers would signal a Homeowner more, whereas shots of lumber, electrical supplies, or power tools would be signal a Pro more. For both groups, the focus of these videos should always be on the amazing, exclusive deals that you can get during Member Week when signed up as a member, and the differences between the videos will be more about settings, products, and messaging specifics. 


You will need to cast both a "Homeowner" and a "Pro" for this project. For the Homeowner, you'll want to cast someone (male or female) in their mid 20's - mid 40's, who feels both authentic and approachable. For the Pro, you'll want to cast a male, also mid 20's - mid 40's, with a solid, down-to-earth blue collar vibe. For all of the videos, Lowe's is looking to engage both English and Spanish-speaking viewers, so your goal should be to cast bilingual talent, and you should lean more towards American-accented Spanish, as opposed to other regional accents. If you have that perfect talent who you think could convincingly play both the Homeowner AND the Pro, you're welcome to propose this in your pitch, but you should remain open to casting two actors if necessary.  We have solid references of each casting bucket in the Background to give you a better sense of what we're looking for here.


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. As you'll see in the content references in the Background, that approach is right on brand with the Lowe's social media canon, and lends itself to more authentic, relatable feeling content. 


If greenlit for the project, you will be able to shoot at almost any Lowe's locations, and you'll want to propose which Lowe's you'd like to shoot in as part of your pitch treatment. You can use their Store Locator tool to find one nearest you, if needed. 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. For example, a Pro talking direct to camera about the huge savings on lumber they just got from Member Week while in the Lowe's parking lot could work great. The same concept could even work on a separate worksite for a Pro, or in a homeowner's garden who just found some amazing deals thanks to Member Week, etc. 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 24 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: 

Details

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.



Requirements

  1. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, greenlit Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their Videos, as well as a photograph/headshot OR copy of a photo ID for all On-camera Talent releases. You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec to claim your earnings. Tongal also reserves the right to request all raw files associated with the project.

  2. Unless provided otherwise, all work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal.

  3. In the event you utilize any third-party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider not provided by Tongal, you must obtain full written license and consent from the owner of such third-party materials and provide such license and consent forms to Tongal.

  4. The Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Videos without providing additional compensation. Remember it's easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.

  5. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website is HD 720p and formatted for the aspect ratios listed in the Deliverables (e.g. 16x9). Acceptable file formats are .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv. Acceptable codecs are H.264 (MP4), MPEG-4, H.263, MPGV, WMV, DivX. Should your submission be greenlit, you will also be required to provide a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec.

  6. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES THE SOLE PROPERTY OF TONGAL OR ITS ASSIGNEES - SEE OFFICIAL RULES FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES. YOU MAY NOT PUBLICLY SHARE OR PUBLISH YOUR SUBMISSION IN ANY MANNER AND YOU MAY NOT POST OR UPLOAD YOUR SUBMISSION TO ANY WEBSITE OR VIDEO HOSTING SITE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE OR VIMEO), WITHOUT THE PRIOR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF TONGAL. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR ENTRY IN THE PROJECT.

  7. You may not contact any employees or members of the Sponsor's organization, their affiliates, or any of their partners. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your entry in the project.

  8. In addition to the judging criteria stated in the OFFICIAL RULES, Pitches will also be evaluated on that member's ability to execute the final Video based on their prior work and experience as a creator.

  9. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.

  10. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor, nor can Submissions contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.

  11. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.

  12. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.

  13. See OFFICIAL RULES for additional contest information, terms and conditions. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between these requirements and the Official Rules, the terms and conditions of these requirements shall prevail.