October 2022 — 3 Years Ago Today
Before mixed reality segments became a regular part of big broadcasts, there was that moment on Monday Night Football when Gillette changed the game—literally and virtually.
It was October 24, 2022. The New England Patriots faced off against the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium, but it wasn’t just the players who stole the show. In a bold fusion of sports, marketing, and real-time graphics, Gillette unveiled a fully 3D mixed reality segment live during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast—and it hit like a touchdown.
Razor Meets Renovation in Real-Time 3D
The segment opened with Pat Patriot—the team mascot—stepping into a futuristic virtual locker room, flipping a giant lever. What followed was a dazzling display: a neon grid of virtual scaffolding erupted across the stadium, assembling a digital replica of Gillette Stadium’s $225 million renovation, complete with the now-iconic lighthouse and giant scoreboard.
Then came the brand’s hero moment: a GilletteLabs razor appeared in mid-air, assembling itself piece by piece in glowing, choreographed detail. All of it happened live, broadcast seamlessly thanks to an Unreal Engine-powered setup by The Famous Group, with real-time tracking, camera integration, and a 3D scan of the entire stadium.
Why It Mattered
At the time, this was one of the most ambitious uses of mixed reality in a live sports setting. It was a collaborative feat involving Pixotope, ESPN, Gillette, The Kraft Group, and a highly detailed LIDAR scan of the stadium by TruePoint Laser Scanning. It took the language of advertising and elevated it into storytelling—merging product promotion, team pride, and architectural innovation into one unforgettable moment.
Not just a gimmick, the segment triggered a 2x surge in “GilletteLabs” Google searches and generated massive social media buzz. It proved that MR activations weren’t just a novelty—they could drive real engagement.
“This was Gillette showing what’s possible when brand, tech, and sports align,” one producer said at the time. “We didn’t just sell a razor—we redefined what a commercial could be.”
The Legacy
Looking back now, it’s easy to see this segment as a turning point for virtual production in live sports. Since then, mixed reality has gone from spectacle to standard, and this bold moment during MNF is still cited as one of the first to really nail it.
Three years later, it holds up not just as a marketing stunt—but as a milestone in the evolution of immersive broadcast storytelling.
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