The most watched and engaged-with piece of European Tour content ever, produced together with Callaway Golf, has been nominated for two prestigious sports industry awards.
As an Official Partner of the European Tour, Callaway came together in April of this year with the European Tour’s Content Team to stage a spectacular Guinness World Record attempt of epic proportions: ‘The Farthest Shot in Golf’, which has now been shortlisted at both the Leaders in Sports Awards (Content Creation category) and Sports Business Awards (Best Brand Activation involving Sport category).
Filmed on a runway in York, Callaway Staff Professional Marcus Armitage had to land a golf ball into a moving car at a distance of over 273 yards to break a record previously set in 2012. He was assisted by former British Touring Car Championship driver Paul O’Neill, who was at the wheel of a BMW M8 Competition Convertible sports car.
Armitage’s quest to set a new world record, captured on film, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the European Tour and needed 12 cameras, two cranes, 39 on-site crew and a car travelling at a speed of over 170mph.
The epic journey to eventual success – the new record drive was caught in the car 303 yards (277m) down the runway – quickly became the most watched and engaged with piece of European Tour content of all time. It received 35 million views, 3.1 million engagements and 44 million impressions, with many more additional views coming via third-party posts and shares.
On receiving the award nominations, Neil Howie, President and Managing Director of Callaway EMEA, commented: “This was a wonderfully creative idea, brilliantly executed by all the teams involved. We are so proud to have played a significant role in bringing it to life. The world record attempt went well beyond typical golf fans, and entertained and engaged such a varied and far-reaching audience.”