Seeking to broadcast its mad intensity to the world, Stride Gum Presents Heaven Sent was a first-of-its-kind feat where world-class skydiver Luke Aikins would jump out of a plane from 25,000 feet with no parachute or wing suit and land safely on the ground for the nation to see during a live broadcast on FOX on July 30th, 2016. the PR company maximized partnership assets and brand visuals (e.g., Luke Aikins, training stills and footage, influencer relationships, etc.) and created immersive ‘mad intense’ experiences to engage media and influencers pre-, during and post-event to impact brand messaging pull-through and drive earned media coverage.

Pre-event, the PR company strategically identified media targets for a custom media delivery to pique interest in the special, inclusive of everything you need to jump out of the plane - the shirt on your back and Stride Gum.

Designed to stray from a typical press conference and knowing the jump site would be closed to reporters, pre-event, we invited targeted press to an exclusive experience with skydiver Aikins at an indoor skydiving facility for 1:1 interviews and to capture content.

On-site at the event, wire photographers and videographers were granted exclusive on-site credentials to capture and distribute media-ready still shots and video of the big day. Buzzy content showcasing the intense preparation and Luke celebrating a successful landing were distributed immediately following the event.

Post-event, Luke went on a mad intense NYC media blitz starting with a Today Show exclusive, and various interviews with top-tier print, radio and online media.

1. Marketing activity contributed to a 9% lift in consumption vs. prior year

2. PR blitz generated more than 1,675 earned media placements and 972 million media impressions (627% over goal).

3. Stride Gum messaging and mentions pulled through in 83 percent of all media coverage (3% over goal).

4. Placements from the pre-event phase included in-depth features on Reuters TV, Popular Mechanics, People and IndieWire, as well as an exclusive national morning remote segment from Luke Aikins’ training grounds on Good Morning America the day before the live special.

5. The pre-event PR coverage in entertainment, TV, marketing, news and science outlets directly led the program to trend organically on Facebook and appear on Twitter Moments on July 29, outside of Stride Gum’s paid social media campaign.

6. A post-event media day with Luke Aikins resulted in 8 national interviews including an exclusive post-jump interview on Today Show.