We took four teams of people, ordinary people, into the desert and made them perform tasks. It was hard. It was dusty. They struggled. They laughed. They cried. They sweated. They ran away from wasps, big ones - but they made it. They made the Orange Project real. This is their story of what happened.
In July, you may have received the following mysterious email, followed by an equally mysterious text. The email read:
"We’re creating something, something secret, something big. It’s a huge project, in an amazing location. We’ll need 160 square feet of polyvinyl chloride, 1800 ft of reinforced cable, 1600 cubic ft of oxygen, 200 people, 30 tents, four trucks, 20 buses, seven off road vehicles, one motorbike and a dog."
"Interested? Click here."
That's how the email ended, inviting thousands of Orange customers and members of the public to apply to take part in our super secret project.
p.s. if you didn't get the email it probably means you're not signed up to Orange Emailme our monthly email newsletter. If you want to be invited to future secret projects like this, sign up today. (You don't have to be an Orange customer to receive it)
It's a battle between the militaristically efficient solid-as-a-rock team ninjas, The Panthers, and fast talking, super-friendly, always-a-networking Canaries. Who will win? Who will talk the most?. Who will let go of their inflatable and fly up into the sky?
In the highlands of Andalusia, it hadn't rained for two years. The ground was parched. And then, of course, on day two of the Orange Project, the clouds came over, the heavens opened, and it bucketed it down.
But that wasn't going to stop our two teams of the day: the raring daring Racoons and the carefree, fly away Dolphins.
The final day was all about community spirit and fierce competition. Which team could get their inflatable up the first? All four were hoisted in the air and – well... you can see what happened next.
HELICOPTER! your helicopter develops a fault upon landing. It must be repaired by a technician. A special Bell technician. And the nearest one lives in Seville.
"I just thought it would be a laugh to enter something you know. Went for the audition and wow they accepted me." Chris, 58, ex-financial advisor
"Replied to the text. Got a call. Did the casting. Didn't think I had a chance in hell because I've never done anything like that before. Thought I was going up against professionals and whatnot. So it was all an open mind thing. Spent about 25 minutes there, all in all. Was successful. Somebody obviously liked my personality or something I said." Andre, 32, personal trainer and "sports nut" from London.
"At my interview they asked me do I do any DIY and I was like “oh yeah, yeah, definitely”. Give us an example of what you do and my mind went absolutely blank and the only thing I could come up with was I built sandcastles. Um, so I don’t know how this project is going to go, but if it’s building sandcastles I might be alright" Samara, 21, medical student
"They asked me if I was a canary or a racoon. I’d like to think I was a panther because well, they’re so decisive and they know where they’re going and what they’re doing. But deep down I know I’m a canary. I can't deny it. I’m OK with that. I’m dealing with that." Rick, 24, actor
"I got a phone call back. Do you want to go? I said yeah but only if you pay for my booze. They said no. I said, that's unfair. Money for food, but not booze Nah, I'm only joking. Yes, definitely, I'll go on a four day trip to Spain. It'll be a laugh. Meet new people. Have fun." Doug, 19, DJ and artist
"Got a phone call while I was at work then declared to my boss that I wasn’t going to be in this week. I told him that I’d won a trip and I was going and it wasn’t up for debate." Lucinda, 24, from St Albans
The final 40 cast members were quickly on their way to a secret location in Spain. But none of them were not told what was going to happen. Everyone working on the project was sworn to secrecy.
Rumours soon began to fly.
"Some kind of mad stunt"
"A giant Orange box in the middle of the desert?"
"Build something that does something. Like a spaceship"
"Go up in Canary shaped balloons or something ridiculous like that"
"Building a giant orange, climb inside"
"Having blow up animals"
"I’m half expecting to be dressed up as a Canary"
"A Big Noah’s ark kind of thing?"
5.02am. Without even the chance to unpack, our intrepid (but somewhat tired) cast were bussed to the middle of the desert before sunrise.
"I'm a thrill seeker. I like adrenaline. This is pure adrenaline – on a camera shoot, on a bus, at 5 o'clock in the morning in Spain with a complete load of strangers. In the dark. You don't know where you're going. How much more adrenaline do you need? It's like dropping off a cliff. Which I haven't done by the way. Thank God. Not yet" Andre, 32, Personal Trainer & arch Panther
6.02am "It was a very long journey apparently to the middle of nowhere. When we came out, it was very dark and I don’t know where we were going. Then as it got lighter it was a huge location area, very flat but nice set of mountains or hills all the way round and you could see the way the sun was going to come up and it had a lake there so there was four different sections for all the Canaries, Dolphins, Racoons and Panthers."
Chris.
A sprawl of caravans, trucks and tents. Miles of desert, ropes and tarpaulin. A seventy foot cherry pickers. And a helicopter.
Each of the teams had their own individual reactions.
"We’ve got no idea what's going on..." Doug, Panther
"I'm just intrigued. Anthony Gormley experience. I've no idea. As long as there's no nudity, no nakedness, I'm happy." Siobhan, Canaries
"There’s a variety of different scenarios as the picture builds. There are four different pedestals here, I assume we'll we working to put structures on those." Paul, Raccoons
7.13 am. The teams receive their briefing from the director Simon.
"Basically each of you must erect a 40ft inflatable version on your team animal, on a platform, using just your guile, teamwork and whatever tools are lying around. You'll be timed, but it's more than just a race. Each task is slightly different for each team."
Here's how it works:
1) 40 foot tall inflatables inflated by compressed oxygen.
2) Metal platforms built.
3) Inflatables carried over 50 metres of desert.
4) Animals hoisted onto platforms.
5) Animals held in place by rope, stake and sheer brute strength.
6) Much cheering and whooping.
Panthers must erect their animal on a rocks – a true test of teamwork Canaries must build theirs on a metal plinth double quick – a race against time Racoons have a figurine and three tails to prop up – resource that guys! Dolphins have a platform in mud & water – stop to think, you sink
No Scratching
"The inflatables are heavy but incredibly fragile. Just. 0.2 of a millimetre. So all watches have to be taken off and all jewellery - anything that can scratch."
Don’t touch the ground
"That's because if we catch it at all with anything, it'll just rip. One tear and that's it."
Concentrate!
"Because when you’re on the guy ropes, and the wind gets it, you have to hang on. . If anyone is not looking, it's gone. . Even when it's down, if the wind gets it, it's gone."
Wear Gloves
"The ropes will cut you if you don’t. And you mustn't tie the rope around the arm because if it goes – you can't let go."
Don't let go.
"Unless you want you and your mates to be hoisted into the sky - James and The Giant Peach style."
It's a battle between the militaristically efficient solid-as-a-rock team ninjas, The Panthers, and fast talking, super-friendly, always-a-networking Canaries. Who will win? Who will talk the most?. Who will let go of their inflatable and fly up into the sky?
Simon The Director: " You are the very competitive sort. You do things in a very efficient manner. Speed is very important for you. And so everything you do – we're not giving you much direction – the less we interfere the better. But everything you do, think as you're trying to do it as neatly as possible, in as militaristic a fashion as possible, everything needs to be organised, tight, efficient and particularly speed. As fast as you can. Military minded individual for the next two hours."
"Well I'm quite focussed. I'm quite motivated and I want to get things done right and I want to have fun at the same time. I want to make it lively for other people. But at the same time, you want to win, don't you? " Imram, 26, IT consultant from Surbiton, Surrey.
"I'm very business-orientated. I'm the kind of person that would just go out and do it and think about the consequences afterwards. Live life with no regrets" Jeull, 35, entrepreneur. "Panther through and through."
"I'm just a guy who loves life. If you don't love life, there's no point in living. But when I do something I always make sure I get it done – because if you don't do it then, you'll never going to do it." Doug, 19, DJ and artist
"I love partying and shopping. How did I prepare for today? I went out for dinner. I stayed up and washed my hair, dried it. Went to bed at 1.30, got up 3.30am That's my celebrity lifestyle."
Samara, 21, medical student from London.
"If it is a building exercise, I think I’ll be as useful as tits on a bull but if it’s coming conceptualising the project, coming up with zany ideas, bringing those to fruition then I think I might be able to do that. Or better - getting other people’s ideas and making them sound like they’re mine."
Rick, 23, actor from Sydney
"I definitely don’t love chips and I’m trying hard to think of something I do love right now but I’m enjoying the scenery quite a lot. I’m also quite a good team player so hopefully I’ll be able to help out with stuff and I’ll give anything a go." Lucinda, 24, from St Albans
"Oh yes. I think they say that Canaries don’t stop talking and that says it all about me. I don’t stop talking. I haven’t stopped talking since I got to the airport." Emily, 27, Model, East Bourne
"I just thought it would be a laugh to enter something you know. Went for the audition and wow they accepted me." 
"Replied to the text. Got a call. Did the casting. Didn't think I had a chance in hell because I've never done anything like that before. Thought I was going up against professionals and whatnot. So it was all an open mind thing. Spent about 25 minutes there, all in all. Was successful. Somebody obviously liked my personality or something I said."
"At my interview they asked me do I do any DIY and I was like “oh yeah, yeah, definitely”. Give us an example of what you do and my mind went absolutely blank and the only thing I could come up with was I built sandcastles. Um, so I don’t know how this project is going to go, but if it’s building sandcastles I might be alright" 
"They asked me if I was a canary or a racoon. I’d like to think I was a panther because well, they’re so decisive and they know where they’re going and what they’re doing. But deep down I know I’m a canary. I can't deny it. I’m OK with that. I’m dealing with that."
"I got a phone call back. Do you want to go? I said yeah but only if you pay for my booze. They said no. I said, that's unfair. Money for food, but not booze Nah, I'm only joking. Yes, definitely, I'll go on a four day trip to Spain. It'll be a laugh. Meet new people. Have fun." 
"Got a phone call while I was at work then declared to my boss that I wasn’t going to be in this week. I told him that I’d won a trip and I was going and it wasn’t up for debate." 
"Well I'm quite focussed. I'm quite motivated and I want to get things done right and I want to have fun at the same time. I want to make it lively for other people. But at the same time, you want to win, don't you? " 
"I'm very business-orientated. I'm the kind of person that would just go out and do it and think about the consequences afterwards. Live life with no regrets" 
"Oh yes. I think they say that Canaries don’t stop talking and that says it all about me. I don’t stop talking. I haven’t stopped talking since I got to the airport." 
