Largest surfing lesson

Whether you love it or loathe it, the holiday season is coming. In the next few months, consumers will be more willing to spend as they prepare for the end of year gift rush and plan for festive parties. Competition is fierce and to capture the attention of their target audiences, marketers are fine-tuning their strategy for Halloween, Christmas, and everything in between.

Most people dressed as mummies

But amongst the holiday chaos, how can your organisation stand out? With over 20 years of experience in live events, attractions and experiential marketing, we spoke to VP Creative at Guinness World Records, Paul O’Neill, to discuss how you can create an unforgettable seasonal campaign.

Paul_ONeill 

"Festive events are all about togetherness and nothing unites people like attempting and maybe breaking a Guinness World Records title. We are synonymous with everything amazing and Guinness World Records makes the news at any time of year. Now combine that with an appropriate holiday theme and you have some cut-through-the-noise gold right there – simply irresistible!” says O’Neill.

Organisations will also face the challenge of keeping their employees fully engaged and motivated during the busiest time of the year. Employers have the responsibility to create and maintain a fun atmosphere to boost morale during this period. Festive parties and bonuses are the most common ways to heighten employee engagement, but one-of-a-kind activities are guaranteed to inspire staff.

"We once facilitated an event for 600 staff from Santander in the run up to Christmas. They attempted four Guinness World Record titles, all with a festive theme. In a flurry of swapping Christmas jumpers and dancing jingle bells, they managed to break three of the four records. It was a huge buzz to be present and feel the goodwill just overflow, there is really no joy quite like it."

During this Christmas period, the spirit of goodwill is high and corporate social responsibility record-breaking with a festive twist will capture the attention of your audiences. In fact, O’Neil mentions that charitable and CSR records are a highlight at this time of year. 

“The largest Santa Claus run is always good for fundraising. It’s a very competitive record, with the current mark set at 4,983 participants, by the J&A Racing (USA) in Virginia Beach, USA.”

Largest-Santa-Claus-run 

Which begs the question – what are the top records that could be broken this year?

"For individuals I'd like to see them beat speed eater LA Beast's record for the fastest time to eat all chocolates from an advent calendar (1 minute 27.84 seconds). For Halloween, I really like the most haunted attractions visited in 30 days or the most people wolf howling which currently stands at 803 people."

Most people wolf howling

"I have two team favourites that I would like someone to break, the first is the record for most people dressed as mummies – the combination of toilet rolls and spinning makes it quick to do and hilarious to watch!"

"However, my all-time favourite has to be the largest surfing lesson (single venue) achieved by RedBalloon with 320 locals taking part in a 30 minute lesson on Bondi Beach, Australia. The festive twist here is they were all dressed as Santa Claus – not necessary for the record-breaking but it made for a great picture and event."


Is your organisation competitive enough to take on the challenge? Contact an account manager now to show us what you’ve got!