It’s Thursday before the Easter long weekend.
Many offices may be frantically getting work done, or even close early as people go on holiday. But at Liquid Interactive, five teams prepare to battle it out and put their dignity on the line (and online) for glory. The prize: to be immortalised on the Wild Moose Chase Trophy, coupled with bragging rights over their coworkers for at least another year. Friends will be lost and allies will be made - all in the name of a Thursday afternoon off work.
The Wild Moose Chase is Liquid’s annual Easter event that has the staff completing ridiculous, ambiguous and absurd “missions”. Completing each mission earns the team points.
5 teams. 2 hours. 52 challenges. What could possibly go wrong?
1.30pm - 60 minutes until start
The team captains are summoned to Moose HQ, where a package is passed to each of them. The contents: a sealed envelope containing the rules of the Chase, ponchos for every team member, two toilet paper rolls and $30 hard cash. The Chasemasters reiterate the rules of the game: teams have 2 hours to complete as many missions as they can, able to go anywhere and do anything with the cash supplied. The captains all take their packages and leave to a chorus of “may the best team win”.
2.00pm - 30 minutes until start
The usually “comfortable-but-the-air-con-could-be-a-little-higher” atmosphere of the office is charged with anticipation as the teams prepare for the trials ahead. The Chazwazzas are the loudest by far, appearing almost ready for a day at the cricket touting Aussie chic: singlets, boardies, an afro wig and even a XXXX polo. Moose Willis stay true to their name, fixing various imagery of Bruce Willis’ smouldering face to their clothes. Liquid Gold appeared to have a slight lapse of coordination as only half of their members showed up in the planned yellow outfits. No-one can quite make out what the uniform for the International Lightning Chameleons is, with an odd assortment of patterned articles and headwear. Some think that maybe that’s the point. We like to moose it, moose it look on sheepishly in plain clothes, like those who attend a fancy dress party thinking no one else is going to dress up.
The Chazwazzas gearing up to go!
2.25pm - 5 minutes until start
Teams gather near the office entrance, hastily planning strategies. Tensions rise as 30 people try and get an app working properly on their phones.
2.30pm - And they’re off!
The game goes live and, with a startled cheer, four teams rush out the door. Moose Willis start on a different track, opting to stay behind and form a plan of attack. A bold strategy, will we see it pay off? The Chasemasters sit eagerly at Moose HQ, remotely monitoring the event on the big screen. As teams upload submissions from the field, the Chasemasters judge and award points.
2.35pm - 115 minutes remaining
Within 5 minutes of the Chase start, the first submission is uploaded by Liquid Gold, with their rendition of the “Jewish Wedding” mission.
Jewish Wedding - Have a teammate sit in a chair. Lift up the chair and celebrate!2.45pm - 105 minutes remaining
Liquid Gold maintain their gold rush, completing four missions to put them in the lead. “Parkour” seems to be a favourite, as three teams upload their acrobatic antics for this mission very early on.
3.00pm - 90 minutes remaining
With half a dozen big point grabs, The Chazwazzas take the lead with an infomercial about how to make a cheese sandwich in the middle of a food court. The slow start for Moose Willis has given them a notable points handicap, trailing behind the other teams out in the field.
Full of Air - Attach 10 or more fully-filled balloons to a team member.3.15pm - 75 minutes remaining
Some teams start to take it slower, practicing yoga with strangers in fast food joints and trying on wedding dresses. Unbeknownst to them, We like to moose it, moose it rockets into first place with an arm wax, a photo with a million dollar car and a video on a magic carpet.
LEFT: Oxymoron - Balance is key for a healthy lifestyle. Do yoga with a stranger in a fast food restaurant.3.30pm - 60 minutes remaining
We like to moose it, moose it seem unstoppable as they widen their lead even further, completing six missions in 15 minutes and managing to score a video of their members behind the wheel of a police car (under strict supervision by law enforcement. Liquid does not condone the appropriation of police vehicles for any non-Moose related activities). Moose Willis’ early strategising begins to pay off, leaving the International Lightning Chameleons far behind the rest.
3.45pm - 45 minutes remaining
Not going down without a fight, The Chazwazzas rapidly catch up to We like to moose it, moose it by racing strangers and spooning on display beds. Both teams are neck and neck after they both manage to squeeze into shopping trolleys for big points. Now out in the field, Moose Willis try and maintain their momentum by diving in fountains and arm wrestling adult shop clerks as Liquid Gold close in.
LEFT: Tight Squeeze - Fit your team in a shopping trolley.4.00pm - 30 minutes remaining
Tensions begin to rise as teams realise they only have half an hour remaining, and try to squeeze as much as they can out of the final leg. The Chazwazzas finally edge out over We like to moose it, moose it after 70 minutes in pole position. It’s anyone’s game for the top four teams after several marriage proposals and compositions for what Liquid should use for their “On hold” jingle. International Lightning Chameleons continue to struggle to get back into the race.
LEFT: Heart-felt Proposal - Get down on one knee and let the whole world know that you love the stranger who just walked by.
RIGHT: Bus Ride - Jump on a bus and take a hilarious photo.
4.15pm - 15 minutes remaining
The Chazwazzas start to feel the pressure, and send two of their team members jumping fully clothed into a public pool to earn the biggest point boost of the game. Moose Willis split up, trying to cover as much ground as possible, writing songs and singing Rick Astley’s timeless “Never gonna give you up” to strangers.
4.29pm - 1 minute remaining
Teams frantically race back to Moose HQ where they try and milk as many of the remaining missions as they can, resulting in some hasty interpretations.
This Moose Belongs to Me - Make a moose. Photograph your moose, making it look life-size.4.30pm - Time’s up!
Surprisingly, all teams make it back on time. Many are out of breath, exhausted, or experience various other forms of trauma onset by the missions. But spirits are high as all teams eagerly await to see the results. A recap of all the best content is enjoyed by everyone as the judges vote on the bonus points for best submissions in some categories. Liquid Goldshow that quality can be better than quantity, winning several categories and earning enough bonus points to move them from second-last to tie second place with We like to moose it, moose it. Moose Willis came in second-last, ahead of only the International Lightning Chameleons.
But there can only be one winner, and The Chazwazzas receive the honour of being immortalised as the victors in the 2018 Wild Moose Chase.
The Winners! Congrats to The Chazwazzas.
It was a close one! See the results below.
