Jim Beam to give surfers ‘The Break’ of a lifetime via interactive online competition via The Works

Jim Beam, via agency The Works, Sydney, is giving up and coming surfers the chance to follow their dreams to compete in the World Qualifying Series, through the launch of an interactive online competition, ‘Jim Beam The Break‘.          

‘The Break’ reaffirms Jim Beam’s reputation as the true Spirit of Surfing by building off the brand’s ten year support of grassroots surfing in Australia, and will offer one talented unsigned male surfer $50,000 and one unsigned female surfer $25,000 in sponsorship*.  This will provide the surfers enough support to fund their entry into the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and tour with their heroes. 

Surfing enthusiasts will need to prove to the public and a panel ofjudges they have what it takes to be a great ambassador and compete onthe WQS by submitting a 90 second video showcasing 60 seconds of theirsurfing ability and a creative 30 seconds of personality.  Registrations are now open, hosted by Swellnet and video entries can be uploaded from July.

The public will be able to vote for their favourite contender over aneight week period commencing November.  The voting process will consistof a 50/50 split from the public and the judges, including highlyregarded surfers Dayyan Neve and Paige Houden.  Those lucky enough tobe chosen for the final will then compete in a survivor style weekendaway in January.

Ray Noble, Brand Director Jim Beam, believes ‘The Break’ takes JimBeam’s support of Australia’s surfing community to the next level bygiving something back to the people who live and breathe the sport:”‘The Break’ was developed as a way to give back to Australia’s surfingcommunity, which forms a major part of our market.  We know howgrueling it can be to compete in surfing, including the financialhardship to get onto the WQS.  We are committed to our loyal fans andwant to use our position as a market leader to take the brand to newplaces, and provide two lucky unsigned surfers the leg up they need toget onto the WQS.”

Jim Beam has had phenomenal success with its surfing program, Jim BeamSurftag, for the last ten years and has worked hard to build itssupport of the surfing community.  This included introducing an annualWomen’s Surftag event in 2008.  The event was launched to raiseawareness of women in surfing and introduce a new competitive femaleevent.  The Women’s Surftag event now sits firmly on Australia’ssurfing calendar, with women travelling across the country to competein the surfing challenge.  

Jim Beam ‘The Break’ will be supported with an online partnership withSwellnet, and consumer magazines including Tracks and Waves. Publicrelations activity will focus on a local level to generate communitysupport and some friendly competition within the surfing townsthroughout Australia.   

“Jim Beam Surftag attracts some of the best surfers in Australia andhas a bigger presence in local communities than we ever imagined. Wewanted to take this further and create a platform which went beyond thetraditional surfing community and reached out to a wider audience.  Bycreating an online competition, and asking people to enter videos, wecan create unlimited possibilities and see this being one of thebiggest online campaigns we have launched,” adds Noble.  

Jim Beam ‘The Break’ is also supported by key partners Rip Curl and Sanyo.

*Sponsorship includes cash and contra and is higher for malescompared with females due to the differing number of femalecompetitions on the WQS.