The roar of the crowd
Guinness World Records has sold more than 130m copies of its books in 100 countries since 1955, and around 750m people watch its branded television shows across the globe. Businesses have cottoned on to how lucrative breaking a record can be, and the promotional dividends that come with it.
For example, Vim, a washing liquid made by Unilever, set up a world record for the longest line of washing by scrubbing 17,000 dishes with a single bottle of the soap and linking the event to a TV advertising campaign. De’Longhi, best known for its coffee-making machines, created the world’s largest cup of coffee, a caffeine overload holding 13,200 litres of steaming Joe (the cup was exhibited at London’s Canary Wharf Tube station). In South Africa, an event by Virgin Mobile at the opening of a new store broke the world record for the most people to fit into a Mini Cooper (a very snug 25).
Guinness World Records receives 50,000 applications and inquiries a year. In 2012, 92% of those came from a business or other commercial entity. Alistair Richards, its president, says it is easier for a business to get the money and round up the people to beat a record than it is for an individual. Businesses have the added motivation of hoping a media fuss about the record will rake in more money.
