In 2013, more businesses than ever leveraged the power of record-breaking to create one of a-kind-events and campaigns for their brand.
From employee and community engagement initiatives to product launches and rebranding campaigns, here we look back at a selection of Officially Amazing events that took place across the globe over the past 12 months.
In response to exceptional growth in record-breaking across the region, the start of the year saw Guinness World Records establish its Middle East operations with the opening of its office in Dubai.
A total of 50 adjudications took place across the Middle East in 2013, and among the most memorable was fruit drinks maker Tang’s successfully attempt at the record for largest donation of toys in 24 hours in support of the brand’s charitable ‘Do Good’ campaign.
Working in partnership with non-government organizations, such as the Red Crescent in the UAE, Dar Al Atta'a from Oman, and ENSAN and KAFEL from Saudi Arabia, TANG’s campaign managed to collect and donate 30,000 toys, which were distributed to less privileged across the region. Full story here.
September saw Car manufacturer Nissan highlight the capabilities of its new Patrol SUV in emphatic style, with a successful attempt at the world record for “heaviest aircraft pulled by a production vehicle”.
The nearly 3-ton 4WD vehicle pulled a 170.9-ton cargo plane for more than 164 feet (50 meters) during the attempt at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE.
It marked the second Guinness World Record set by Nissan in Dubai in 2013, with the company’s indoor illuminated advertising sign at Dubai International Airport also setting a benchmark as the world’s largest in February.
Looking to engage social media audiences for the launch of their the new GALAXY S4 Zoom smartphone, Samsung Electronics Germany worked with Guinness World Records in September to create the world´s largest photo book.
Calling on the company’s existing Facebook fans, Samsung encouraged their followers on the social network to become part of the record attempt by uploading their photos for use within the book.
Unveiled at the Museum für Kommunikation in Berlin, the finished book as verified by a Guinness World Records adjudicator measured 40.52 m² (436 ft² 15 in²).
Featuring 28,000 photos submitted via Facebook, the book weighed an incredible 12,000 tonnes. Full story here.
JOY, the leading dish washing liquid detergent in over 31 countries, created history in October by breaking the Guinness World Records title for the longest line of washed plates .
Highlighting the products long-lasting credentials, a total of 26,213 washed plates lined the running tracks of Bukit Jalil stadium in Malaysia, measuring 6.84 km (4.25 mi). The new world record was achieved with just one single 800ml bottle of JOY. Full story here.
As part of a campaign to promote awareness of the benefits of breast feeding among new mothers, in September, Philips Avent in China set a new world record for the largest online photo album of handwritten notes.
Drawing attention to the brand’s new 'AVENT Natural Series' range of breast pumps and feeding bottles, the campaign called on mothers to make a handwritten pledge that they would breastfeed for 180 days, the finished album contained 21,632 photos.
The campaign targeted both traditional and online media, including forums and parenting blogs, along with popular social networks in the region such as WeChat and Weibo – the latter generating over 230,000 discussions related to the attempt.
During the Spring, Bally Technologies emphasised how working with Guinness World Records can help brands engage and entertain consumers with live events, with the slot machines and gaming technology manufacturer setting a trio of world records at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Showcasing Bally’s new iVIEW Display Manager™ (DM) Messaging Technology, a total of 3,001 Mohegan Sun guests competed in a tournament to capture the records for “World’s Largest Slot Tournament” and “Most Machines Running the Same Game Simultaneously” in April.
The company followed this up in May with another successful world record attempt, this time for “Largest Virtual Race”, with 4,230 participants competing against each other on Bally’s new Virtual Racing NASCAR game. Full story here.
Marking the company’s 50 th anniversary in some style, Mary Kay Inc, set the Guinness World Records®achievement for the largest makeup painting in Dallas back in August.
The finished artwork measured 56.5 square meters (608 square feet), and took 10 artists approximately 1,000 hours over 16 days to complete, not including 40 hours of product and materials testing and 60 hours to create the design. Full story here.
Also using world record attempts to mark a corporate celebration in 2013 were Hellmans.
To celebrate their 100th anniversary and take part in Chile’s “Fiestas Patrias” in the lead-up to the nation's Independence Day, the U.S.-based Mayonnaise brand set a new record for the longest line of hot dogs.
Forming a line more than 250 meters (820.21 feet) long, 1,500 individual hot dogs were laid in line to help Hellmann's set the 21 st record currently held by the South American country.
The company also commemorated their centennial with an event to break the world record for the world's longest picnic table, bringing together a slew of celebrities and food fans.
Looking to emphasise the market-leading performance of its new Officejet Pro X551dw printers, HP worked with Guinness World Records in February to have the printing speed of the range officially recognised.
During a live adjudication in Washington, USA, the devices were confirmed as setting the fastest time to print 500 sheets by an office colour desktop printer, with HP using the title as part of a licensing campaign.
Finally, exemplifying how a record attempt can assist community engagement, one of the most hotly contested records during 2013 has been for the loudest stadium crowd roar.
September saw the NFL team Seattle Seahawks break the record, showcasing the notoriously noisy acoustics of the CenturyLink Field stadium and their vocal fans to register a history-making reading of 136.6 dbA.
Having lost the title to rivals the Kansas City Chiefs a month later, the Seahawks went on to win back the record in December with a 137.6 decibels during their game against the New Orleans Saints. As well as creating a minor earthquake with the crowd roar, the world record generated news coverage around the globe for the Seahawks.
* To find out more about how you can harness the power of record breaking for your brand click here.
