Phaith Montoya has long been a diehard fan of “Survivor,” the hit CBS reality show that will premiere Season 49 later this month. So when she had the opportunity to actually go to the island as part of the very first “Survivor: Influencer Experience,” she jumped at the chance.
“It was insane. A dream come true, a dream that many people might not understand but a few that do can really appreciate it,” Montoya told TheWrap.
Released on Thursday, the “Survivor” influencer experience took eight influencers and did what this series does best: challenged them to survive the island. In addition to Montoya, the cast featured Hannah Kosh, Alyssa Amoroso, Davis Burleson, Karl Jacobs, Monét X Change, Sean Klitzner and Tommy Scibelli. And though the event only lasted 36 hours, CBS didn’t offer an easier version of its crown jewel.
Contestants had to build their own shelter, earn rice, survive the night during a serious storm and dive into the mud for challenges. There was even an immunity idol as well as a shocking twist. It was classic “Survivor.” The difference was that all of its contestants were recognizable from YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CBS president and Chief Marketing Officer Mike Benson realized that more people were watching “Survivor” across multiple generations. The pandemic especially saw a wave of younger viewers discovering the show.
“We were talking about, from marketing perspective, how do we continue to grow this audience?” Benson told TheWrap. He and his team also noticed that there were several influencers and content creators who were “Survivor” superfans.
“We thought, ‘Well, why don’t we bring them and invite more?’ It kind of happened organically,” he added. “We really looked at this and we thought, let’s give people who are media influencers the opportunity to experience ‘Survivor’ in the only way we know how they could experience it — by doing it.”
Thus, the first “Survivor: Influencer Experience” was born. It was crucial to Benson and the entire “Survivor” team that this truncated experience was as authentic as possible to the real deal. Casting was handled by Emily Schwartz, CBS’ senior director of innovation, talent and specials, and her team to make sure the creators they selected both respected the show and would make for great entertainment. Benson also noted that the casting process was “very similar” to the one used for actual seasons of “Survivor”; the show was serious about not cutting corners for its Internet celebrities.
“I’ve never been camping before,” Montoya revealed. What made the experience worse was that her first-ever camping trip happened in the middle of a terrifying thunderstorm. “That was definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life, and I was questioning quitting a few times, like, how can I do this? I was so cold, my hands were white and my feet, too. It was the hardest night of my entire life.”
Karl Jacobs, who’s worked with MrBeast, noted that the challenge was “much harder” than a MrBeast challenge because it was so concentrated. “But then over the span of a whole week challenge, at least, [a MrBeast challenge] is definitely a little harder,” Jacobs told TheWrap.
The event exceeded the expectations of both Montoya and Jacobs, who were thrilled to meet host Jeff Probst in person and surprised by how quickly they bonded with their castmates. It also exceeded the expectations of CBS.
“You go there and you think it’s going to be one thing, and it always surprises you. We joke with Jeff, the island surprises you,” Benson said. “It was just so fun to watch because it’s fun to see how people react to what it is. You really see this group of people go in and discover, not only things that excite them, but discover what is within them and in others and how ‘Survivor’ brings out both the best and the worst in people.”
Looking ahead, Benson feels positively about CBS’ latest experiment and is possibly open to trying other types of experiences in the future.
“We want to make sure, if we did create these types of experiences, doing it for a show like ‘NCIS’ versus maybe ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ would be a very different type of experience,” Benson explained. “We want to make sure that whatever we do is not only authentic to the IP that we have, but also to our brand.”
As for Montoya, she has a theory about why “Survivor” has such a special place in the hearts of so many creators.
“It’s the type of show that strips you of everything and brings you back to humanity. I think in this day and age with social media, we lack that. As influencers, we lack that, probably more than anybody,” she said. “We always have the cameras on us. We always are caring about engagement. This is all about who you are, how you outplay, outwit, outlast.”
