Functionally, batteries are simple devices, which makes it hard to differentiate one brand from the others. They’re also cheap, which means consumers don’t make in-depth shopping comparisons. Therefore, we decided in this promotion not to convey the battery’s functions with facts and instead selected an unprecedented challenge that would generate news coverage and create an awareness of EVOLTA as an “extraordinary” battery. So, the new battery’s durability was graphically demonstrated in an unusual way, a rope-climbing robot powered by just two batteries was set the task of scaling the world’s most famous gorge, the vast Grand Canyon. It was a risky challenge with no guarantee of success; to enhance news value it was decided to record every move and make the whole thing public, successful or not.

The challenge received extensive coverage, followed by timely ads to keep the news fresh in memory and boost sales.

The news was widely covered on TV (over 36 minutes of network airtime, estimated to have reached over 100 million viewers) and in 41 magazines and newspapers, resulting in publicity worth over $6 million. Brand recognition rocketed from 0% to 42%. The news coverage induced retailers to give the product premium shelf space, and while our Oxyride batteries sold an amazing 90 million units in the first year of sales, EVOLTA is on track to reach 170 million units. The transition to a high-value-added brand was thus crowned with success and the promotion has now spread to over 50 countries.