Instagram Odd Man Out
Odd Man Out is one of Jubilee Media’s core series, an entertaining game show and exploration of diversity all in one. Seven individuals representing a certain identity, occupation, or background are brought together with one participant being an imposter. With prize money at stake, the cast members must discuss and interrogate each other to sleuth out the mole! Often times people fall back on stereotypes, groupthink, or gut feeling under pressure, a reflection of how we jump to assumptions in real life.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, lively video shoots on set turned into recorded Zoom calls. While Jubilee adapted to create content remotely, there was a special dynamic from being in-person that was lost. I saw an opportunity for social media to fill the gaps and connect our audience more closely than ever to their favorite show, and an interactive Instagram version of Odd Man Out was born.
ROUND 1: INTRODUCTIONS
Each cast member had a 15 second story to introduce themselves, which was followed by a call for people to submit follow-up questions. In this way, our audience could feel like they were playing the game and participating directly!
ROUND 2: Q&A
Each cast member responded to 3 standard questions + 1 unique question to present their case. The audience then voted for who they thought was an imposter by liking their choice in the comments, resulting in one cast member eliminated.
ROUND 3: THE COOK OFF
Time to change things up! This was the activity round where cast members could show off their skills. Given the topic of “Chefs vs. Quarantine Cooks,” each participant had to prepare a dish using egg or eggplant. The audience had another chance to vote, resulting in two cast members eliminated.
ROUND 4: THE REVEAL
That’s a wrap! The true identity of each cast member was revealed and our audience successfully eliminated 1 of 2 moles. Each participant shared a reaction video to the final results and had the opportunity to plug their social handles.
Strategy & Purpose
For the first ever Instagram Odd Man Out, I decided on the topic “Chefs vs. Quarantine Cooks.” It was a nod to the current circumstances while taking advantage of participants being at home with access to a kitchen.
I put out a call for interested participants to sign-up on Instagram and sorted through ~80 applications to cast the series. For the 1.5 weeks of the campaign, I communicated with and directed the cast members through each round, conveying results in real time and providing instructions for the next 24-48 hour turnaround.
With regards to design, a consistent visual identity was imperative to indicate a multi-part series, as rounds were spaced out over a few days. I created all graphics and edited the cast member videos for each round.
Overall, this series was a self-initiated project to challenge my planning, casting, communication, design, and video editing skills while providing a fun experience for our followers stuck at home. Jubilee’s YouTube episodes of Odd Man Out are always inundated with comments about how cast members should have done or asked something else. This was an opportunity for fans of the show to feel like they were participating themselves. In a way, it was our largest Odd Man Out ever, through the power of social media!