Bangkok--11 Apr--Verve
Test of Shell Helix Ultra pairs Hollywood stars with professional drivers to tackle toughest environments for airing on Discovery Channel in 75 countries worldwide
To clearly manifest the ultra-high performance of premium engine oil from the world leader in lubricant innovation, Shell has partnered with Discovery Channel in an innovative campaign called “Shell Helix Driven to Extremes”, in which Shell Helix Ultra engine oil is tested in some of the harshest environments in the world. The three-part television series by the world’s leading documentary channel follows three trips amid extreme elements of the “Road of Bones”, the “Desert of Death” and the “Jungle Road”.
The challenge of Shell Helix Driven to Extremes is to undergo three trips that will put Shell Helix Ultra to the most demanding tests of terrains and driving conditions that are more cruel than imaginable. Shell has paired up Hollywood stars with professional drivers to take on this extreme challenge. In the first episode, actor Tom Hardy of “The Dark Knight” is paired with F1 legend Mika Salo. They head along the Kolyma Highway or the “Road of Bones” in Siberia, where temperatures can drop as low as -60 degrees Celsius. Then, actor Henry Cavill of “Superman” is paired with MotoGP champion Neil Hodgson. They travel to China’s Taklamakan desert, also known as the “Desert of Death” due to temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius. The final episode sees the return of F1 driver Mika Salo, this time paired with Oscar-winning star Adrien Brody of “The Pianist”. They tackle the unforgiving Johor jungle in southern Malaysia during monsoon season, facing local wildlife, torrential rain and mudslides.
In addition to airing of the three episodes on Discovery Channel in 75 countries across the world, the Shell Helix Driven to Extremes campaign also has a strong digital dimension, including mobile apps, a Facebook game and a dedicated YouTube channel, with behind the scenes footage and details on the vehicles, the engines and the all-important oil.
“It is one thing to say that your engine oil can stand up to extreme challenges, but quite another to go to these intense locations, test and prove it on screen,” said Colin Abraham, Vice President Marketing, Shell Lubricants. It was a fantastic experience for us, and I hope audiences will enjoy following the challenges and the triumphs in the three TV episodes. If you watch, you will see just how much the crews relied on the technical performance of the oil to keep their engines going, and to get home safely.”
The Shell Helix Driven to Extremes series will be aired on Discovery Channel in 75 countries across the world from March 2013. An initial digital content accompanying the series is now live at www.youtube.com/shellhelix, lifting the lid on the making of the television episodes with exclusive clips.