To promote its Winter X Games, ESPN has launched a Fear Factor-style ad campaign capturing normally fearless X Game athletes with hidden cameras in situations inducing fear such as being stuck in a locked closet with roaches. Created by Los Angeles-based Ground Zero, the campaign, apparently, attempts to make athletes appear more real.
ESPN EVP Lee Ann Daly summarizes the campaign. “This project was incredibly fun–it might be the first time ever that a series of carefully planned practical jokes were captured on film and used to make a TV campaign. This time we kind of turned the notion of X athletes’ fearlessness on its ear and instead of focusing on their admirable, fearless, athletic talents, we captured X athletes scared out of their wits in the midst of some really fun practical jokes. The spots capture the sense of humor a lot of young folks enjoy nowadays.”
