The leepeckmedia team has been at the heart of a landmark moment in British adventure history, helping to tell the extraordinary story of Basingstoke’s James Ketchell – the first human to circumnavigate the globe by sea, land and air.
In our latest assignment for client Barratt Redrow, we were tasked with maximising the profile for James as he sailed into Gosport completing an 11-month voyage around the world aboard his Class 40 boat, Mindset. This remarkable achievement makes James the first person ever to circle the globe across all three terrains – a genuine world first.
This third global challenge follows two Guinness World Records already to his name: flying a gyrocopter 44,450 km around the world in 2019, and a 29,000 km ride around the globe in 2013 on a second-hand bike.
Beyond the adventure itself, James’ campaign shines a light on the organisations that have supported him, including The Scouts, with whom he serves as a Hampshire Scouting Ambassador. The challenge has also raised awareness and private donations for two UK charities close to his heart – Kindled Spirit, supporting young female victims of exploitation and human trafficking, and The Baton of Hope, supporting suicide prevention.
Notable sponsors of the circumnavigation World Record challenge include Barratt Redrow, Rentokil Initial, R3Corda, Blockchain.com, Farmfoods, Kutchenhaus Kitchens and Premier Marinas.
A feat of this magnitude deserved the eyes of the nation, and the leepeckmedia team were called upon to deliver. We stage-managed James’ reception at Haslar Marina, secured an official welcome from Gosport Mayor Cllr Kirsten Bradley, and ensured the most effective images were captured across both stills and video. Lee also recorded an interview with James on the quayside for radio and TV.
Having collated the content, we packaged the story and briefed it into the media, ensuring it could compete with a packed news agenda. A thorough understanding of the news cycle – combined with dogged determination – helped deliver big hits across broadcast, digital and print platforms.
It’s a story that will run and run – and we couldn’t be prouder to have played our part in bringing it to the nation.
