Chris Evans’ Escape Game Prank
Omaze partners celebrities with causes, giving fans the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences while funding nonprofits. We designed the full experience on one week and installed 12 hours before launch time in a local comic book shop. We pulled an all-nighter building a secret fake door, rigging fog machines, and wiring flashlights to cut on command.
Evans hid in a back room, speaking to unsuspecting fans via a hidden speaker in a Captain America doll to guide them through puzzles
The result hit 105 million views and raised $477,000 for Christopher’s Haven, funding housing for 310 families of children undergoing cancer treatment across 86 countries.
The 24 hours before the event were exactly what you would expect from a team that had been stress-eating, stress-building, and stress-destroying-and-rebuilding for a week straight. We showed up to pick up Micha, ready to head to ComiCazi, and got a call from Jason and Nicole: car dead in Chinatown, tow truck incoming. We picked up Jason and the equipment from the side of the road and left Nicole waiting for AAA in the rain. We chose not to read into this.
We made it to ComiCazi, ate burritos, drank bubble tea, ran back to Trapology for more equipment, and returned to begin the actual build. By 2am we were as confident as people who had not slept could reasonably be. We went home. We slept four hours. We came back.
The morning of the event we were running on adrenaline, still wiring cameras and audio and effects tech when Chris Evans walked in.
We walked Evans through the game and he was ready. Watching him guide complete strangers through puzzles he had learned twenty minutes ago. The video hit 100+ million views within 24 hours but we didn’t know that because we were asleep during this 24 hours.
