Around the World in 50 Tanks

I never talk about work on my blog, but then I realised: Hey! I can generate my own publicity around my clients now that I am an official citizen journalist blogger! (And, this latest project is rather interesting/cool...)

Last Tuesday saw the launch of a project I have been working on since I arrived in London: "The Shell Fuel Economy World Record Challenge." My client, Shell, is supporting Australian couple, John & Helen Taylor, on a drive around the world to set a Guinness World Record for Fuel Efficiency. They will travel more than 29,000 km, in approximately 70 days (that's 10 days less than Phileas Fogg, my friends...), and all on under 50 fill-ups! They are road-testing a new fuel economy petrol/gasoline formula that Shell has created and hopes to launch to the general public in the future.

The Taylors left in a blaze of glory (ok, maybe not a blaze...they do have to be pedal conscious you know) Tuesday around 10:15am from Waterloo Place in central London...a stone's throw from Pall Mall and The Reform Club, where the fictional Phileas Fogg set off for his legendary trip "Around the World in 80 Days." The event garnered lots of press as the Taylors and their crew prepared to drive off. At one point, there were so many cameras there, it rather resembled the paparazzi!

The Taylors are serial-record setters with 34 notable driving acheivements under their (seat)belts, so when they approached Shell to help back their newest mission -- becuase they always find they get the best fuel efficiency with Shell fuel (up to 15%!) -- Shell immediately said yes to a great opportunity to put their newest formulation to the ultimate road test.

The Taylors will cross Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. on their trek, arriving back in London for the finale in late March. If you would like to track the Taylors on their journey, visit www.fuelchallenge.com -- they have a blog and everything!

This has been a challenging but fun project so far. I am responsible for managing/coordinating the PR activities for approximately 15 countries for this project, so it has been a great learning experience to see how the program unfolds in different markets around the globe. It's also been good getting to know my new team here in London and working with some really talented people. I guess you could say it is an experience of a lifetime -- or a career, at least. ;)

One last postscript about Shell: I grew up in a small town with only one gas station -- a Shell station run by a little man named Micky (and my town is called Mechanicsville, isn't THAT fitting?). Anyway, Micky knew everyone and everyone knew Micky. That was back in the day when an attendent (who you knew well) pumped your gas, washed the windows, checked under the hood, and made plenty of small talk while you sat in the car. And since Micky was the only person who worked there, he did all that stuff every time we pulled up with my Mom. So, I just assumed Shell was an all-American company and perhaps the only gas company that existed. Maybe I even thought Mechanicsville was the only town that had a Shell station. So funny how things come around. Now they are my client, halfway around the world, and I realise they originated in the Netherlands and are all over the globe! Granted, they don't all come with their own Micky, so I still retain that my own "Shell experience" was truly unique and incomparable. ;)

More to come on the Taylors and their exciting feat!