Fair Fanatics

The State Fair had plenty to offer.

The challenge was making it feel like more than a list of rides, food and attractions.

We wanted it to feel like an event people actually gear up for.

Sports fans train for game day.

Concert fans count down to the show.

Fair people have their rituals too.

So we treated the New Mexico State Fair like a major sporting event.

We got a “live” look at one family training for the fair.

Two sports-style commentators gave us the play-by-play while the family prepared like athletes getting ready for competition.

The joke was simple: take completely normal fair behavior and cover it with the seriousness of ESPN.

We treated the whole thing like live sports coverage.

Two commentators called the action while a family trained for the State Fair like they were getting ready for game day.

The joke worked because everyone took it completely seriously.

Kids packed into a laundry basket in front of the TV.

Headbands. Wristbands. Face paint.

A turkey leg shot like a trophy.

Everything felt absurdly serious because everyone played it completely straight.

Nobody winked at the joke.

The commentators treated every moment like breaking sports news.

The family trained like the fair depended on it.

That was the fun of it.

Don’t just go to the fair.

Get ready for it.