Known as experiential marketing campaigns, these translate easily into Guinness World Records, creating a feel-good factor that’s immediately associated with your business. It shows the human side of your brand. Let’s take a look at three experiential marketing strategies that earned themselves Guinness World Records.
Get People Involved
When Multi Corporation decided to launch Forum Istanbul, the biggest shopping centre in Europe, it was against the backdrop of global recession. So probably not the best time, then. So to combat this negative connotation, they decided to go for a unique launch event – one that would maximise PR exposure and attract and engage shoppers.
The result was a touring Record Challenge Roadshow that challenged shoppers to get involved in trying to break all sorts of Guinness World Records, such as seeing how many revolutions you could spin on a chair to seeing how many t-shirts you could put on in an allotted time. But the piece de resistance was the getting together of the world’s tallest and the world’s shortest man, in the same place, for the first time.
The result was a live audience of over 250,000 people, a staggering media worth of $30million and a few Guinness World Records to boot.
Looks Like we got ourselves a Convoy…
When Rural Radio decided to celebrate its launch, they did it by attempting to smash one of the Guinness World Records. On August 3rd, 2013, they attempted to break the record for the Largest Parade of Pick-Up Trucks. More than two miles and 386 trucks later, Rural Radio found itself a world record holder. But the media interest is what added the cherry to the cake: the Rural Media Group beamed the event into over 63 million homes, both in America and internationally. In addition, every east state in the Rockies was represented, with people coming from 31 states just to take part.
Two-fold Fame
However, you don’t have to be a massive corporation to get international interest. In July 2013, the Kendal Calling Music Festival decided to have a crack at one of the stranger Guinness World Records. With bands like Primal Scream and the Charlatans rocking out in the background, 867 music fans gathered to break the world record for the Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Superman, beating the previous record by around 300. While this example may not have garnered that much interest at the time, it’s worth remembering that your fame works two-fold; once when you set the record and again when somebody else tries to break it.
To celebrate the launch and success of the Superman movie, Man of Steel, Warner Brothers have teamed-up with the Sears Corporation to see if they can beat the UK’s effort. All will be revealed in the fullness of time…