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Innovative media strategy

The Discovery Channel was looking to promote its groundbreaking six-part docu-soap, focusing on a group of mountaineers ascending to the roof of the world in ‘Everest: Beyond the Limit', in the cluttered Hungarian market place.

The channel and the programme aimed to increase recognition among young urban males and to ensure awareness of Discovery's core values of taking the viewer to the extreme. They also aimed to prove ‘Discovery is now closer, more connected and relevant to Hungarian viewers'.

To cut through, the campaign needed to stand out from the competition; this was achieved in a very literal sense. Discovery brought endurance to life.

Creative execution

Two climbers spent two weeks living, eating and sleeping on a 7.2 metre platform extending from a billboard advertising the show, 16m above a busy Budapest road junction.

Whilst there, the two kept a daily blog written on laptops with wireless connections and also replied to SMS messages from the public.
The experience was featured in the Budapest Metro newspaper and in a regular radio slot on a Budapest-based radio station.

Target audience

The Discovery Channel was looking to engage young urban males not only to ‘Everest: Beyond the Limit', but also to its wider programming and channels.

This was achieved through the combination of the extreme sport representation of the campaign, online and SMS applications, PR exposure in urban print titles targeting young professionals and the Roxy Radio segment, which targeted young urbanites. These elements combined to make a highly focused campaign.

Effectiveness

The outdoor campaign showed that perception of the Discovery Channel was up 87.8% with total preference up by 155.1% and total activation increased by 178% compared to the category average, according to Szonda Ipsos.
The programme attracted a 400% increase in the target young urban male audience, according to AGB/Advantedge.