To do so, Aksel and Telenor decided to melt his first gold medal, and integrate tiny particles of real World Championship gold into 3 million Telenor SIM cards – changing the SIM card itself into a powerful piece of communication.

The medal has also resurfaced as a monetary fund in Aksel’s name, whose mission is to help even more Norwegians experience the joy of skiing.

Every Norwegian citizen now has the opportunity to carry a tiny part of a national treasure inside their phones, as well as being part of something bigger.

The medal was divided into 120 million particles, and each golden Telenor logo on the SIM cards contains 20-40 particles that are visible with a magnifying glass.

The new SIM cards are free of charge and each one also comes with a signed letter from Telenor, promising to always provide the fastest mobile network.

The moment when Aksel melted his first gold medal became the centre of an integrated campaign. The news about the new SIM card was revealed in a two-minutes commercial during the downhill season finals. On our website and in social media the audience could explore every part of the story and how the SIM cards were being made.

In just a few hours after the launch, the story was in every Norwegian newspaper. And the buzz in social media was massive.

The campaign has resulted in an all time high in brand reputation for Telenor.

The medal from 2007 lives on through 3 million SIM cards and important projects all across Norway, which generates new stories and local PR every month.

But even more importantly, 3 million new SIM cards are on their way to customers all across Norway with a powerful message about speed.

The only tangible product you get from a telecom company is the SIM card. You slip it into your phone and never look - or think about it again. Through this campaign, we turned these tiny pieces of plastic, that always look the same, into a powerful medium in itself. 3 million customers now have the opportunity to carry a small part of a national treasure inside their phone, as well as a constant reminder of Telenor's high speed mobile network.

The only tangible product you receive from a telecom operator is a tiny piece of plastic and a bill once a month. In addition, customers think it’s difficult to see the difference between one operator and the other, especially when every one of them claims to have the fastest network. By letting the SIM-card itself communicate Telenor’s dedication to speed, and our national sport, we could build a much more valuable relationship with the customers.

Norwegian athlete Aksel Lund Svindal is the world’s fastest downhill skier, and Norway’s most beloved athlete. His main sponsor for years - telecom operator Telenor, wanted to remind both new and existing customers that they provide the fastest mobile network.