Have you ever wondered what you are made of? I was recently watching the movie Elysium, and cringing at the non-stop beating that Max (Matt Damon) takes. I mean, he takes one brutal punishment after another…and all I could think of is that I would never last.
Or would I?
Heineken®, who is a sponsor of this blog post, means to find out. No, they won’t be breaking any of my body parts or drowning me in radiation. But they are out of their daily lives and dropped into the great unknown. As part of its latest global campaign ‘Voyage’, they are asking us to imagine this situation:
You are a highly social character, out-going and confident. You get chosen to go on a legendary adventure – something you have never done before – a new experience that will test your resourcefulness. But then you find yourself in the freezing wilderness of Alaska – alone on a glacier, with nothing but a giant life-ring, a tuxedo and a plane ticket to get you home – and the airport is hundreds of miles away.
This ‘Voyage’ of Heineken®’s takes different men from across the world and drops them in remote areas far from home. There is nothing to go to just a few hours down a mountain trail. And with nothing but the most basic of supplies and directions, they will be sorely tested.
The end result, which we can view from the comfort of our warm and cozy living rooms, is ‘Dropped’ – a series of episodic adventures following these brave or foolish explorers through their legendary travel experience. To be frank, it is at the dropping part that I would be a gonner (you did watch the video above, right?)
‘Voyage’ is the fifth installment of premium beer brand Heineken®’s ‘Legends’ platform. Their integrated campaign can be found on a variety of platforms across broadcast, digital and mobile. It will be pure entertainment, providing us with a truly immersive experience right at the Heineken® Dropped YouTube channel. You and I will be able to follow each ‘Dropped’ voyage, access documentary-style reports of their progress and thank our lucky starts that we are only watching it. But if you feel ambitious – and this is really cool – you can contribute your own video entries to the ‘casting couch’ – with the ultimate chance of partaking in your own legendary travel adventure. If you do, I want to be the first to hear from you!
Each ‘Dropped’ travel adventure is custom tailored based on the character of its main protagonist – forcing them to discover their own unique limits and conquer their own personal fears. Across four continents they’ll face a multitude of challenges – tough terrain, curious locals and unusual modes of transport. All these elements make for great entertainment, something that was perfected already in the early days of the James Bond movies. (Sorry, no word on the street about any Bond girls – but I will update you if that changes.)
As the ‘Dropped’ episodes unfold, so the social experiment will come to life, with viewers of each voyage able to follow how each traveler fares through a series of diary entries and journey updates.
And their final destination is…? Home sweet home. Where they will surely put up their feet to watch it all play out on YouTube. And where they will plan their next adventure…or lock themselves in the basement, safe from having to face such odds again.
Will they make it? We won’t have to wait long to find out.