Xbox is celebrating the launch of Rise of the Tomb Raider in the U.K. by punishing eight Lara Croft fans with a sadistic stunt—forcing them to stand on a billboard in London for 24 hours and pelting them with harsh weather conditions, as voted for by the public.
The stunt just kicked off a few hours ago and is streaming online at survivalbillboard.com and on Twitch. The eight contestants, who were chosen from thousands of applicants, are standing on tiny ledges in the air and being subjected to arctic cold, strong winds, snowstorms and intense heat—with the people watching choosing the order of the punishments.
The last one standing wins a trip inspired by Rise of the Tomb Raider.
The campaign began in October with call-for-entries ads outlining the contest's "Terms & Horrible, Horrible Conditions," and warned interested parties to expect anything from hypothermia to hallucinations. The final eight include survivalists as well as hardcore and casual gamers.
The work was created by m:united\McCann, m:united\Momentum, m:united\CRAFT, m:united\MRM, media agency EMT and PR agency Edelman. It ties into the game nicely, as Rise of the Tomb Raider features much more hostile landscapes than earlier incarnations of the franchise.
More pics below.
