As awareness campaigns go this one's certainly off the beaten trail. Action channel AXN and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) have tied up for the Hong Kong AXN Challenge. The India leg of this 'adventure race with a difference' is to be held in Mumbai on 9 March.
For AXN, the event is a continuation of its efforts to expand ground presence, while the HKTB is using it as an opportunity to promote Hong Kong as being more than just a business hub - a destination for action and adventure as .
The race kicks off on 9 March from Marine Drive in south Mumbai with the finish line 30 km away in the western Mumbai suburb of Bandra.The race, which includes swimming (in the open sea), running and cycling, tests the two-person teams' physical endurance, abilities and teamwork.
And packing some brain into the equation, the Hong Kong AXN Challenge tests the teams' mental agility with a series of brain teasers about Hong Kong to be issued at various check points along the route.
The winning team will be sent to Hong Kong to compete with the best racers from Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand for the ultimate prize - to become the Hong Kong AXN Challenge Champion.
The Hong Kong race, which promises to be even more rigorous, includes sea swimming, sea kayaking, trail running, climbing, abseiling, orienteering and commando crawling. The entire event will be captured on-air and broadcast on AXN later in the year.
Says, Rohit Bhandari, senior marketing manager, AXN: "It's very exciting to work with the Hong Kong Tourism Board on this event due to the synergy in our marketing and brand values."
"The Hong Kong AXN Challenge provides us with an excellent platform to showcase the multi-faceted dimensions of Hong Kong," said David Leung, regional director for South and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong Tourism Board. "Through promotions like the Hong Kong AXN Challenge, we aim to showcase our lesser known treasures - the historical, cultural, natural and scenic beauty of Hong Kong which also lends itself to a multitude of adventure-filled lifestyle activities."
Designed on the lines of Eco-Challenge, the adventure race telecast on AXN, the Hong Kong AXN Challenge will further entrench the channel's brand values by offering viewers the opportunity to interact directly with the channel and personally experience the 'buzz' that AXN offers.
