How do you secure a Guinness World Record on behalf of a brand?

I’m 1 for 2 on Guinness World Records but let me tell you, there's a lot of prep required [more on that below]. We weren’t successful on our first attempt for Nestle when we travelled all across Canada looking for the quickest chocolate milk drinkers, but we certainly had an awesome experience trying. Let me unpack it for you.

The program was two-fold:

1. Give out XXXX samples and;

2. Find the fastest rock-climbing, chocolate-milk-chugger in Canada.

That’s right, we weren’t just looking for the fastest drinkers, we wanted you to climb a 16 ft. rock climbing wall shaped like the Nesquik Bottle, and then chug the milk. ?

You’d think that giving out the product would be a cinch but no, the numbers we agreed to were extremely high. We had to come up with a quicker method of delivery and because the Properties wouldn’t let us do full bottles we had to pour into a small cup. Enter our first challenge.

I had recently attended an event and noted a beer cart that used ice-covered service lines running through an insulated cooler. I thought, perhaps that could be the solution. The good news was that it could work but the lines needed to be bigger due to the viscosity of the chocolate milk and the target number of samples we needed to hit.

The production team worked for a few weeks on a prototype and in the end, we had a smooth-running, chilling machine. We used food-grade containers, similar to beer kegs, and compressed air to push the product through to the tap. All we needed was the 5-gallon containers of product and we’d simply pour them into the kegs. Or so we thought… enter Challenge # 2.

Two weeks before we were ready to hit the road the client informed us they were unsuccessful in obtaining the larger-sized containers and that we’d need to use the standard retail bottle. We’d go from 160 samples to 3.5 from one pour!

YIKES !

We immediately suggested having them set up a warehouse where they could open and pour the product into food-grade containers but due to food handling protocols, that unfortunately wasn't possible. We'd be shipped boxes of 14 oz. bottles. Lots and lots of boxes.

So let's do the math. 1 person at a time can open a 5-gallon jug and pour 160 samples but to get the same amount of samples versus bottles we’d need to open up 45 bottles. We needed more staff, in fact, we had to double the staff at each major event.

At the conclusion of the summer, we nailed our target and found the fastest chuggers of chocolate milk at each location. We flew all the contestants to Toronto for a grand finale that took place in Yonge Dundas Square. What we didn’t know until just before the event was that the Guinness World Record that we were attempting to beat would be for drinking the Nesquik through a very specific-sized straw and not chugging like we had been doing across the Country.

All right then.

On your Mark, Get Set, SUCK!?

30 or so seconds later we had our winner but unfortunately, we weren’t even close to the existing record. BTW, today the record is 8.61 seconds.?

So how did we not know about the straw rule? I can’t honestly tell you as it wasn’t our team's responsibility, but a precious lesson was learned. Do your research!

And so you don’t make the same mistake, here are the steps to follow.?

1. Choose a Record Category: Determine the category in which you want to attempt a record. Visit the official Guinness World Records (GWR) website or contact them directly to explore the various categories available and find one that aligns with your talent, brand, skill, or idea.

2. Research Existing Records: Before attempting a record, it's important to know the current record and understand the requirements and guidelines for that particular category.

3. Read the Guidelines: GWR has specific guidelines for each record category. Read the guidelines carefully to understand the rules, evidence requirements, and any special conditions associated with your chosen record.

4. Register Your Interest: Visit the official GWR website and register your interest in attempting a record. Provide details about yourself, your record attempt, and any relevant supporting information.?

5. Wait for Approval: After registering your interest, the GWR team will review your application. They will assess whether your proposed record meets their criteria and guidelines. If approved, you will receive further instructions and a confirmation of your attempt.

6. Plan Your Attempt: Once your record attempt is approved, start planning the logistics and requirements. Determine the location, date, and time of the attempt. Consider any special equipment, witnesses, or documentation you might need.

7. Gather Evidence: Guinness World Records requires comprehensive evidence to verify your record attempt. Ensure you follow the specific guidelines provided for your category. This may involve collecting witness statements, photos, videos, measurement records, and other supporting documents.

8. Carry Out the Attempt: On the designated date and time, perform your record attempt according to the guidelines and rules. Make sure to have witnesses present, capture high-quality evidence, and document the entire process thoroughly.

9. Submit Your Evidence: Once the record attempt is completed, gather all the evidence you collected during the attempt. Follow the instructions provided by GWR for submitting your evidence. This may involve uploading files or sending physical copies of your evidence by mail.

10. Wait for Verification: After submitting your evidence, GWR will review it to verify whether you have successfully set a new record. The verification process may take some time, so be patient while they assess your evidence.

11. Receive the Result: Once your evidence is reviewed and verified, GWR will communicate the result to you. If you have set a new record, you will receive an official certificate recognizing your achievement. In case your attempt falls short, you may receive feedback or guidance on how to improve for future attempts.

Remember to consult the official GWR website or contact their team directly for the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding the application process, guidelines, and requirements.

The program wouldn't have been possible without Karla Stuewe , Zen Lim , Robert Kania and Dave. Thanks for making my first cross-country program a success!

I'll share the Guinness World Record attempt for General Motors in the future, stay tuned. :)