Paypal wants to showcase their products' relevance in customers’ lives, through their eyes, in a positive way, while staying cognizant of the current environment globally – i.e. social distancing, masks, financial struggles, social activism, protests, and the importance of racial inclusion. They want to tell both sides of the new normal so the content connects with the breadth of consumer experience. Also, although the brand's long been a critical component of eCommerce, most people still don't realize how much they offer, so they're hoping to add a greater emotional bond to the functional ubiquity of PayPal, and become the leading digital wallet - the ‘Swiss army knife’ in today’s digital world.
The key thinking is captured by, "Make it easier to make it better," although that's not necessarily a tagline. Keep that phrase in mind, and think about how much more commerce is digital, how frequently people are making touchless payments, donating to causes like Black Lives Matter, or pooling money to help out a friend or family member, etc. Paypal's products naturally tie into the consumer experience. Here they are:
PRODUCTS TO FEATURE:
- The Paypal App: Send & receive payments fast, manage your money, donate, setup money pools, and receive notifications for everything - all in one place.
- P2P (aka Person-to-Person): Securely send money to friends & family for free, domestically or internationally
- Money Pools: Collect funds from friends and family when splitting a bill or collecting for a gift or good cause.
- Checkout: Buy from millions of websites safely, and with confidence.
- QR Code Scans: Make a touchless payment in-store and in person, using the Paypal App's QR Code scanning.
VIDEO BREAKDOWN: The key consideration here is that each video follows a similar format (open on talent & setting, introduce the scenario, demonstrate the PayPal product, cut to CTA), but the elements within each video can be flexible, so even though you don't have full control over what the 5 satellite shooters will have access to, it's somewhat superficial. For example, in the App Video for Digital Natives, "a backdrop of social activism" could be about making face masks, painting signs, working a soup kitchen, and although you won't know exactly what backdrop you'll have, you can still beat out a video and plug in whatever the satellite filmmaker brings to the table. Simultaneously, you'll be able to make reasonable asks of the satellite filmmakers (i.e. need a 4th friend for the socially distant picnic).
- App video for Digital Natives
- Against a backdrop of social activism, we meet a 20-something who gets a notification from the app and checks out their latest activity with a focus on donations, P2P, and money pools.
- App video for Parents
- Against the backdrop of healthcare (i.e. someone dressed in scrubs, or in a setting that can be interpreted as a hospital, clinic, or testing center), we see a parent get a notification from the app and check out their latest activity, with a focus on P2P and money pools.
- P2P video for Digital Natives
- A 20-something shows up at a park with a take-out bag of sandwiches for a socially distant picnic with friends - or - shows up at a socially distant backyard poster making session with more supplies for everyone.
- P2P video for Parents
- A parent and their child drop off groceries for someone (perhaps a grandparent) who's staying home to stay safe, and that person pays them back with P2P.
- Money Pool video for Digital Natives
- We meet a group of friends who are using video chat to select a shared vacation destination for 2021, and see them collect money with a Money Pool for the shared holiday.
- Money Pool video for Parents
- A small group of adults is collaborating to collect money for family wedding anniversary or older parent. (Imagine this as 3-4 people at home, maybe with spouses, looking at laptops or computer screens with imagery of a destination and visual cues that signal the scenario)
- Checkout video for Digital Natives
- We'll see a 20-something buying something online - tech, fashion, collectible, etc. - from a small merchant. (This should take place at home)
- Checkout video for Parents
- We'll see a parent buying a new school uniform or school supplies for their child to demonstrate the online checkout. (This should take place at home)
- QRC Scan video for Digital Natives
- We'll follow someone as they pick-up coffee or sandwiches before meeting up with one or two friends for a socially distant walk or hang-out. (the key thing here is that we see someone picking up food or drink from a small business - what the business is doesn't matter as much)
- QRC Scan video for Parents
- A 30-something parent shops at a local farmer's market stand with their child, using QRC to pay. (For COVID safety compliance, imagine this faked in a parking lot with 1 or 2 tents and a small handful of talent)
PAYPAL APP ASSETS:
To address questions that have come in, some updates have been added in red below.
The goal of this project is expansive and very fast-moving: with only 4 weeks, Paypal needs a creative campaign director who can put together a team to script, storyboard, produce, and edit a package of 10 key videos, with motion graphics, while coordinating satellite shoots with 5 different filmmakers around the world. You will not be shooting anything yourself: instead, you will be providing creative direction to 5 other filmmakers, each of whom will be shooting MOS, and who will send raw footage back to you to edit. These videos will be driven by on-screen text, without dialogue or VO, and satellite filmmakers will be sourced in a separate project with their own budgets. We're also providing 10 specific scenarios for 5 different Paypal products, so what they are shooting is more narrowly prescribed and this is more predictable than an open-ended creative ask.
Creatively, this is about the new normal, and the idea that Paypal can "make it easier to make it better," as you can see in this recent video. The times we live in have been challenging and uncertain for all of us, but as we head into the fall, they want to focus on the little pockets of positivity that we experience in our daily lives, and demonstrate how Paypal can be a uniquely relevant and reassuring force right now. By enabling people with digital solutions to pay safely online or in-person, to transfer and receive money with friends & family, or pool funds and donate for worthy causes, Paypal can make it easier for people to be more in control of their financial lives, and seamlessly adapt to the new ways of living. That, in turn, can help people feel less stressed and more optimistic about what the future may hold.
Please carefully review the 10 scenarios in the Background / Additional Details. For your Pitch submission, we're asking you to edit together a :15 proof-of-concept sample video (16x9) demonstrating your proposed approach using ANY of the 10 scenarios laid out in the Background. This is about pacing, tone, framing, video structure, motion graphics, and finding a way to tell a simple product story in an engaging way. You may use whatever footage you can find online, as well as temp motion graphics. It is also important that you lay out your team.
Keep in mind that this is about your vision for the videos: other people just happen to be shooting it.
PROCESS:
- Once greenlit, you will script & storyboard the :15 version for each of 10 product scenarios.
- In another project, 5 "satellite" filmmakers will simultaneously be selected by Paypal to shoot the 10 scenarios, each with their own $18,000 budgets. They will be asked to provide potential talent & locations when they submit.
- After their selection, a joint kick-off call will be set to coordinate production between you and the satellite teams.
- Satellite filmmakers will be responsible for casting, locations, and wardrobe for their videos; working with your input.
- In addition to scripts and boards, you will provide satellite filmmakers with a Shot List for their videos, along with any camera specs or framing guidance that may be helpful.
- Once satellite shoots are complete, all raw footage will be delivered to you for the edits, and satellite filmmakers will be wrapped.
- You will then be responsible for delivery of all assets.
DELIVERABLES:
- 200 total video deliverables; including 10 key :15 "hero" videos, each delivered for 4 international territories, with different aspect ratios and cut-downs.
- Videos will be delivered in 4 Phases, with 24 deliverables in Phase 1, 56 in Phase 2, 80 in Phase 3, and 40 in Phase 4.
- Please review this Breakdown for details on deliverables & phase structure.
- Note: Actual translations for France & Germany will be handled by Tongal and not impact your budget. All international videos will require slightly different app graphics for their accompanying videos, and these will be provided. We do not anticipate that international videos will incorporate any new footage, talent, etc. They should come down to replacing on-screen text, and app graphics.
TIMELINE:
- NOTE that this timeline is EXTREMELY RAPID and will require coordination with other filmmakers.
- You will not be responsible for selection of the satellite filmmakers owing to timing.
- Given the tight-turnaround, it is expected that color grading and sound mix will be pretty basic, especially considering the shoots are MOS.
- For the full project timeline please see the Assets section.
EXPOSURE:
- Videos will be distributed across multiple channels and platforms in 4 markets: US, UK, France, and Germany
- Most non-broadcast digital platforms will see exposure, including: Instagram (key social focus), Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, YouTube Pre-Roll, website, within emails, as well as other owned channels and paid media.
- Please review the platform best practices page.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
- Digital Natives aka Young Professionals - They're under 30, and have always enjoyed a digital first life. They may view PayPal as a utility, rather than an accessory to an easier life.
- Parents - They represent a wider age range, early 30's to mid-40’s, but they have different concerns now starting and raising families. They're came to PayPal through a need to engage with digital commerce, or send money, and they use digital payments both for themselves, and on behalf of their children.
TONE:
- For the videos: Positive, relatable, authentic, inclusive, optimistic, humble, clever - with a hint of charm and wit.
- The brand itself values: integrity, trust, respect, empathy, collaboration, inclusion
- Videos should feel like intimate, professional UGC (aka user-generated content).
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
- All videos MUST show the app & user experience with on-screen graphics and animation (English language assets HERE). The live-action story will function as a framework for the app experience & product offering. Any phones depicted while demonstrating the app should be unbranded.
- All videos MUST quickly communicate the key features and relevance of each product (which are laid out in the product descriptions in Background/Add'l Details).
- Videos must reflect a global audience, and not feel tied to any particular country or location.
- All videos MUST include the CTA "Download the App"
- Videos should carefully reflect social distancing guidelines and not show (or dwell) on activity that demonstrates risky behavior.
- Although it is important that some of the content takes place against a backdrop of social and political activism, you should avoid any overt political statements with signage or clothing.
- For French edits, please do not show anyone eating food while watching a TV / screen.
Our priority is ensuring everyone's safety, so please review our COVID-19 Production Safety Guide and check federal, state, and local rules before and during your shoot to make sure your on-set protocols are up to date. We’re working hard to keep people working during this extraordinary time, and our advice here is to make sure your submission is executable within the anticipated timeline, while also ensuring everyone's safety.