Team MAPFRE with Helly Hansen

The Challenge

  In September 2017 Spanish-based sailing team, MAPFRE, announced Helly Hansen as its official apparel and footwear provider for the latest edition of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR). As the finish in The Hague drew nearer and the tension built as the race for first place grew ever closer, Helly Hansen briefed ADPR to deliver an event that would give the Dutch media a taste of one of sailing’s most renowned competitions and showcase the MAPFRE and Helly Hansen partnership. The event also provided the media with the opportunity to meet the two teams and find out how working with professionals such as Team MAPFRE has a trickle-down effect on future consumer kit launches and developments.

The Solution

As one of the most demanding events in the world, VOR is the ideal testing ground for Helly Hansen’s technical sailing gear. The technical clothing brand relies upon the input of professionals to develop and expand the limits of its performance sailing gear, with feedback given by MAPFRE feeding into the 2019 Helly Hansen Ægir offshore collection. To help demonstrate this, ADPR created an exclusive event in The Hague for Dutch marine and lifestyle publications, highlighting the extensive testing the kit undertook during the race and how this will feed into future consumer collections.

ADPR identified a select group of media, across the marine, lifestyle and travel sectors to invite to the exclusive event with Helly Hansen. The ADPR team secured interviews with Team MAPFRE, arranged money-can’t-buy sailing experiences for the journalists, organised a competition with a key sailing publication to raise further awareness of the partnership and ensured everything was prepared ahead of the event to ensure its success.

Two ADPR team members were present at the event in The Hague, hosting the journalists, managing the event and being on-hand to help the client. Each attendee was provided with exclusive team kit and samples to ensure they had everything they needed to help produce their features.

Following the event, ADPR has continued to work with the journalists, developing relationships with key media to create stand out features about the partnership and the kit worn by Team MAPFRE.

The Results

The event was a huge success. Seven journalists from key Dutch titles including Esquire, The Gentleman’s Watch, Nautique and Zeilen attended the event, and the coverage published to date has been positive and effective in communicating the partnership. More coverage is expected over the coming months and relationships with these key titles have continued to develop, leading to further opportunities for Helly Hansen.

• 7 press attended the event
• Potential audience of 745,000+
• Key press attending from all core sectors
• 4 features already published, at least 4 more features in progress

MEDIA FEEDBACK:

• Zeilen: “Thanks for all your help and the HH hospitality. It was very nice and really useful.”
• Reishonger: “It was nice meeting you all again and very cool to get a taste of the Volvo Ocean Race.”
• Gentlemen’s Watch: “Thank you for a great day and an amazing sailing experience. I enjoyed every minute of it!”
• Nautique: “I had an amazing time during the Pro-Am race, thank you for organising it. Many thanks for your hospitality, it was a great day.”
• Waterkampioen: “It was really good to meet the HH team and interesting to hear all about the technology that goes into the kit.”
• Esquire: “Great to speak to the sailors, we really enjoyed the whole day.”

If you’d like a no-obligation discussion about your marketing communications, please get in touch with us on hello@adpr.co.uk or call 01460241641.