Guinness World Records aren’t just about jumping the highest or running the fastest. While many of the Guinness World Records are pretty much what you’d expect, some of them are decidedly unconventional. And for ‘unconventional’, when it comes to a few of them, substitute the word, insane’!
With the Guinness World Records establishing itself as a platform for companies and individuals to make a name for themselves and communicate their brand to a far-wider audience than usual, marketing bods are coming up with ever-more creative ideas for world records. Let’s have a look at some of those that fall into the ‘out and out bonkers’ category.
Pulling for Humanity
Kevin Fast might not be the kind of guy you’d expect to try and break a Guinness World Record. A reverend fromOntario, you might expect him to be a quiet, scholarly type. However, Kevin and his son set the record for the Heaviest Vehicle Pull. Between them, they pulled two fire trucks – a combined weight of 153,000 pounds – for a distance of 100 feet in 38 seconds. However, aside from emulating his hero the famous strongman Louis Cyr, Kevin was also able to raise money and awareness for his chosen charity, Habitat for Humanity. He raised over $60,000 for the charity and its name will always be synonymous with his record-setting achievement.
An Eye-popping Record’
Kim Goodman’s Guinness World Record is a perfect example of how an unusual talent can get you good publicity. Goodman’s gift is that she can ‘push’ her eyeballs until they bulge 12 millimetres from their sockets. The way she discovered this ability is almost as bizarre as the feat itself. She was hit on the back of the head with a hockey mask and her eyes bulged out. Since that day, she’s been able to do it at will.
An unusual ability like this naturally attracts attention and, since achieving her record, Kim’s made numerous TV and media appearances, including the David Letterman Show.
Don’t call him a Blockhead!
John Ferraro certainly had a novel idea to promote himself, but it’s been incredibly successful for him. Ferraro is a professional wrestler and strongman, who bears the title of The Most Dangerous Wrestler inNew England. With prizes for brass-knuckle fighting and heavyweight wrestling, he’s also no stranger to danger.
However, Ferraro decided to push the boundaries even further by setting the Guinness World Record for the largest number of concrete blocks broken over his head. If that doesn’t sound that bonkers enough then consider how it’s done. The blocks were placed on top of his head and then a bowling ball was dropped on them from a greater height. And just to up the insanity level to 11, he managed to do 45 blocks in one sitting. He’s probably also got a record beating headache at the end of that too!
There’s no doubt that the weirder Guinness World Records garner a lot of press and media attention. Each of the three people mentioned has achieved some sort of fame or celebrity status. But it’s a great way to get some press attention focused onto yourself and your organisation. So if you’re looking for a way to get your brand noticed, why not find out what weird and wonderful talents your employees possess and see if you can create one of the most insane Guinness World Records?
