Octane Academy
TV / Digital / Social / Reality
When Ford Motor Co. hands you a blank check and says, “We sponsor the 4 biggest names in action motorsports and we want them to do more than just sign autographs for us,” what do you do?
You go pedal do the metal to raise a little hell, incite a little anarchy, and don’t stop until the brand managers are screaming.
We threw out the brand book, style guide, and anything else that might keep us stuck to the Big Blue Oval so we could start fresh and create something that would be authentic to the audience Ford was coveting (18 - 35 y.o. adrenaline junkies).
The result was Octane Academy: a reality competition series that got thousands of aspiring race car drivers off the couch and in front of a camera for a chance to be the next big thing in action motorsports. Our pros mentored 24 of them on the track while tormenting them off of it, all in the name of whittling out the weak and crowning some champions.
The show ran for two seasons (on FOX, then NBC) and produced a program at the Ford Performance driving school.
As for those brand managers, they were screaming in celebration after we broke Ford’s records for most marketing opt-ins from any promotion to date.
Both seasons of Octane Academy + other exclusive content live forever on YouTube.
The Work
Octane Academy launched on ESPN during The X Games.
Along with a print ad in the corresponding issue of ESPN The Magazine.
And the first iteration of the OA website.
Digital banners gave potential viewers a taste of what was to come during each camp’s episodes.
As did other print ads.
For good measure, here’s a look at Season 2.