ESPN asked us to develop an advertising campaign for ESPN Insider, their pay-for-content play at the time. Seemed easy enough, until they said, “on this one, no players, team unis or logos.  No intellectual property at all.”  

 

We’d have to write and shoot our way out of it, and still pass the ESPN authenticity tests.

 

Josh Taft, whose work we had always admired, directed us inside (and away from IP). 

 

We shot the spots all over. Starting in Josh’s hometown of Seattle, where Paul Allen’s spyware was messing with the drone controls at the Seahawk’s Training Facility to the spooky Tacoma Dome for the March Madness spot. Then to Miami to shoot the baseball spot with rigs “borrowed” from Fast & Furious so we could drive across the baseball field real fast.  And to Texas, for the football recruit spot ⁠— that is one of our all time faves.

 

Hal Riney legend Paul Mimiaga on the VO.

 

We love the spots and these spots rang up the Insider Members and dollars for ESPN.

Austin with slight edge over and Miami on the wrap party rankings.