Sunoco came to us with a challenge: They wanted more people to use their pay-at-the-pump app. The problem was, there’s an app for everything — getting food, getting a ride, getting a date. An app for getting gas isn’t that exciting, and there was nothing really new to tout about the app. We needed to turn Sunoco’s pay-at-the-pump app into something that was worth people’s attention. The app is branded as “the fastest way to pay for gas.” Our task was to prove it.

As the official fuel sponsor for NASCAR, Sunoco is all about speed. So it was clear that The World’s Fastest Fill-Up was in order. To promote the app, we attempted to set a Guinness World Record for the most cars refueled in one hour by an individual. The first step was getting a fueler. We tapped John Gianninoto, official fueler for NASCAR driver Chase Elliott, as our gas man. For one hour, people were invited to get a free fill-up at a Sunoco gas station in Queens, New York. A free fill-up that we guaranteed would be fast. After all, we needed to refuel 140 cars to set the record.

With its NASCAR connections, Sunoco’s brand is tied to speed. To promote the app, we created an event that both highlighted the app’s purpose as well as the brand itself. Since the project was inspired by Sunoco’s history with NASCAR, everything from the promotional language to the branding at the station was designed to feel like a race. Our target audience was digitally savvy drivers who are open to alternative methods of payment. We also used Sunoco’s racing heritage to speak to NASCAR fans as an audience. Our secondary audience was local press and national NASCAR press.

We turned a Sunoco station into pit road. We branded the station for the event, with posters and pump toppers promoting The World’s Fastest Fill-Up during the week prior. Radio and Facebook ads got the word out, and over 200 cars were waiting in line by the time the countdown clock started, in spite of a Nor’easter storm with sustained 60 mph winds. Spotters stood at each pump with green and checkered flags, directing cars in and out of “the pit.” The event was streamed on Facebook Live and pushed out on Sunoco and Sunoco Racing’s social channels. An emcee kept the energy up. An official Guinness World Records adjudicator made sure we did everything by the book. And our gas man filled up car after car until the final horn.

Even during a Nor’easter, the event was a success. We set the Guinness World Record, refueling 148 cars in one hour. App usage at the pump increased 70% the following week. The event was covered on NBC Sports and was broadcast over Facebook Live. Total impressions were 147.5MM. We used Sunoco’s app to do something that no other gas app had ever done. By setting a Guinness World Record, The World’s Fastest Fill-Up proved that this app is truly the fastest way to pay for gas.