Escape My Life

Escape My Life is an eight episode comedy series that features tasers, police chases, and Shannen Doherty’s dog. Natasha Leggero stars as a minor Hollywood player who has stumbled onto a brand new Ford Escape and a Zombie-obsessed marketing specialist named Barry, played by Joe Lo Truglio. It was directed by Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer.

Beside the series itself, Escape My Life also comes with a Tumblr “written” by Barry the hapless marketing specialist, and a meme generator where users can generate their own content, and its very own comic strip.

And it worked: content consumption exceeded our goals on all of our key metrics. If there’s one way to gauge humor, it’s key metrics.

On this project for Team Detroit/Ford, I was ACD designing the branded Youtube page and the UX for the page. I created the logo, and the ancillary items seen throughout the series. I created the posters for the "Yesterdead" film Barry pitches, along with his drawings on his blog. I also consulted on the character development with the production company Arcade that produced the episodes.

Client: Ford Motor Company
Agency: Team Detroit
Partner: Arcade Edit
Role: Creative Director

EPISODE 1 - “Mr. Thimble”

Finding herself in need of a new car, wardrobe designer Skylar Browning learns from a friend about a Ford marketing program (run by a outside marketing agency) in which high profile entertainment business peeps can try out brand new Fords for free.

EPISODE 2 - “Yesterdead”

Skylar learns that Barry is a product specialist, and she's unwittingly signed into a program in which Barry is with her, 24/7, to guide her through the Escape's new features, and "report" on her experiences with it. With a male underwear shoot first thing in the morning, Skylar has little choice but to deal with the circumstances as they are.

EPISODE 3 - “Mimsy Wimsy”

During a commercial shoot, star Shannon Doherty asks Skylar to look after her annoying dog, Mimsy. Skylar passes the task off to Barry to try and get a break from him, but in his care, Mimsy accidentally ingests Skylar's Bluetooth headset.

EPISODE 4 - “Bob’s Your Uncle”

On another shoot, Skylar and Barry run into Skylar's idol, the editor of The Satorialist and noted fashion photographer, Scott Schuman. Barry forces Skylar to overcome her reticence and say hello, and is shocked when an overly nervous Skylar adopts a British accent. Then they learn that Skylar's idol is the subject of her shoot that day, and Skylar has to carry on with the British accent in front of all of her confused co-workers on set.

Meanwhile, Skylar learns that Barry's "report" on her experiences with the Escape goes beyond product information -- it's actually a tell-all online blog featuring all sorts of details from her life -- and it's starting to go viral. Barry demos the lift gate, as well speaks more generally about the features of the vehicle, including the recycled carpeting.

EPISODE 5 - “The Two Escapes”

While working on a TV commercial for a kid's beverage, Skyler runs into a friend of Greta, a junior talent agent named Carrie. Carrie is also taking part in the Escape loaner program, but Skylar is annoyed to see that Carrie's "Barry" is a dashing hunk of a man named Channing. He's everything Barry isn't. It becomes apparent that Carrie and Channing have taken their relationship a step beyond the professional when Carrie shows off her new engagement ring. As if to drive home the contrast even further, Barry gets into a spat with the bratty star of the commercial, resulting in Barry giving the kid a swirly. Carrie's brand new black Escape is featured.

EPISODE 7 - “World of Boxes”

Finally accessing her messages via SYNC after her adventurous night, Skylar learns that she's missed out on a big job opportunity. Angry and determined to get herself free, Skylar goes back to John Vernon — only to find that the marketing agency has mysteriously transformed in a company called "World of Boxes". She finds John Vernon, and learns that Ford fired his agency for incompetence. But sadly, the contract still stands, and she has to ride it out with Barry. Adding insult to injury, Barry's underwear ads have been released, and he's on billboards all over the city. Just when she thinks she's going to have to give up the car she grown to love and possibly leave the biz, Skylar gets a copy of her Escape contract in the mail... and sits down overnight to read it. She finds out that Barry working the underwear shoot was a violation of an obscure clause in the contract, and so she gets an out. She kicks Barry out of her life... or has she?

EPISODE 6 - “Powdered Milk”

Relegated to working on student films and still stuck with Barry, who she now isn't even talking to, Skylar works a woefully bad short film about a drug deal gone wrong in the middle of the night. When the art department doesn't have enough room in their van to return the fifty bags of prop-cocaine, Skylar is forced to drive home with it in the back of the Escape ---- but when some real life thugs mistake the prop----cocaine in her car with the real thing, they follow her and Barry through the streets of LA trying to get it, with Skylar ending up being detained by the police. Cargo capacity is highlighted, as well as SYNC.

EPISODE 8 - “Finale”

Now Barry-free, Skylar manages to land a sweet gig on a Civic War period drama, but when she arrives she find she has to dress Cory, the kid Barry gave a swirly to. On set, she starts to read Barry's blog, and after reading some entries, she finds that in his awkward way, Barry is actually a very good friend to her. Then, in a confrontation with Cory, Skyler surprises herself by showing some Barry-like assertiveness, and she walks off the set. When she gets home, she starts to worry about where Barry has gone off to and starts driving around looking for him. Turns out, though, that Barry's script YESTERDEAD has caught the eye of a high-powered talent agency and he's meeting with them. Unfortunately, he eats something he's allergic to at the meeting and has to bail. Skylar finds him back at her house, contrite, and, before he can apologize to her, she apologizes to him and they make up -- perhaps not to the extent that Barry wants, as he has several fantasies back to back about them becoming more than friends. Skylar drives off in her Escape, leaving Barry to his inner- thoughts. SYNC is featured, along with running vehicle shots

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