The pursuit of creativity
In an increasingly tech-fuelled world that is overloaded with content, where eyeballs become harder to catch and attention spans continue to wane, it is creativity that cuts through the clutter. A standout idea can glue a brand into people’s minds.
In the case of Brisbane-based Caravanning Queensland and caravan park group Top Parks, it was the idea to create the world’s largest Lego brick caravan that spun the business into the international spotlight. Dreamed up by John Cochrane Advertising, the idea was brought to life by Lego artist Ben “The Brick Builder” Craig.
Crowned the largest Lego brick caravan by the Guinness World Records, it comprised 288,630 individual bricks and took five weeks to complete. The caravan consisted of basic amenities such as running water and electricity, as well as some home comforts, including a jar of Vegemite.
In 2009, Guinness World Records launched its consultancy after being approached by numerous brands and businesses wanting to break world records in their campaigns. More than 10 years later, the organisation has helped a number of brands, including Caravanning Queensland and Top Parks, achieve record-breaking campaigns.
Neil Foster, Guinness World Records vice-president of consultancy EMEA APAC, says the consultancy has become a growing part of the business with six offices worldwide.
“The simple idea of being the ‘best in the world’ at something really appeals to brands and agencies,” he says. “The jeopardy of ‘will they?’ or ‘won’t they?’ delights audiences everywhere. For a brand or agency, record breaking is a powerful tool — and it can be used as a platform to deliver carefully tailored messaging which reflects a product truth and has universal appeal.”
Brands come to the consultancy to break records for reasons ranging from anniversary celebrations and product launches to purpose-led campaigns, brand spectacles or pure entertainment.
During the past decade, the creativity behind the campaigns has increased and the reasons behind them have changed.
“Back in 2015, one of our most popular record attempts was ‘the most selfies in three minutes’, powered by celebrity and influencer-led marketing campaigns,” says Foster.
“Fast-forward to today, and one-off records for fun are not as popular. Instead, we have seen a 110% increase in brands wanting to break a record ‘for good’ as part of their campaigns.”
Regardless of the reason for the record attempts, the approach is one that generates huge brand awareness, sparks conversations and encapsulates creativity.
When it comes to encapsulating creativity as a brand, Vegemite couldn’t be a jingle of the 1950s to its current Tastes Like Australia brand platform, the brand knows how to make a memorable mark when it comes to advertising.
