Adam Berger ’08 brings high-tech visual innovations to sports TV
Once upon a time, sports fans tuned into sporting events and watched…sports. Today, though, fans have more and more ways to interact with the contest they’re viewing—whether in the stadium or on the couch—and Adam Berger ’08 is at the forefront of helping make that connection. Berger is a Mixed Reality Producer for The Famous Group, a multimedia marketing company that’s focused on creating immersive viewer experiences for sports leagues, networks, and advertisers.
If you’ve watched a major sporting event in the last few years, you’ve undoubtedly seen some of their augmented reality work. Take the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Famous Group teamed up with Chipotle for an ad during a game. In it, a Chipotle-branded Zamboni brought out a giant burrito bowl, and a glove “smashed” through the ice to grab the bowl and bring it back under the ice. It was the NHL’s first-ever mixed reality hit, and it earned The Famous Group advertising awards.
In his role, Berger has his boots on the ground for on-site production. Shortly before talking to the Bulletin, Berger was in Daytona Beach, Florida, for NASCAR’s Daytona 500 race. The Famous Group created a mixed reality “The Greatest Lap” before the race, a digital recreation of famous NASCAR drivers and their rides—including every small detail about the cars. Berger was there to make sure everything was set up right for the broadcast. It was, as he described it, an “awesome” day for the company.
Berger also works on the fan interaction platform for in-person events, which he finds exciting. “Everyone still just wants to be on the jumbotron when they go to a game,” he laughs. In terms of what sports fans are likely to see next? Berger assures us it will be ground-breaking. “We are going to keep innovating and trying new things.”
The Famous Group’s augmented reality productions include a 2022 Stanley Cup Playoff intermission commercial for Chipotle that featured a hockey-gloved hand breaking through the ice to grab a burrito bowl (top) and a come-to-life statue of a Carolina Panther (above). “We are going to keep innovating,” says Famous Group producer Adam Berger ’08.