Polartec, an innovative brand of incredibly resistant fabrics, launched a new mobile-based cycling initiative revolving around its athlete ambassador alliance with Alberto Contador called simply #FollowContador.
Polartec activated its sponsorship of the Fundacion Contador Team through a mobile-led, participatory initiative taking place in 10 countries and fronted by Alberto Contador himself.
With Polartec fabrics becoming ever more popular in the cycling market, offering breathability and protection from the elements, the objective was to test Polartec’s products to the maximum and bring it to life through one of the world’s best riders in Alberto Contador and thousands of amateurs aiming to emulate him.
This was an international gaming style contest, based around a bespoke microsite at www.FollowContador.com, that required all participating cyclists to ‘follow’ Contador for at least 1000 km.
But this wasn’t following the Grand Tour winner on the flat, but rather a climbing site for a climbing contest: a scrolling, uphill experience that requires a similar kind of effort to win and then support the five-day professional training session with Alberto Contador.
The #FollowContador.com campaign leverages Strava’s API’s (the most used app in the cycling world), to precisely monitor the distances actually travelled.
This ensured 101% that the 10 winners, one for each participating country, were able to keep the pace of Alberto Contador.
The data collected allowed to gradually increase the difficulty: once a level was completed, each cyclist received the stage badge and the chance to win the product up for grabs.
Thanks to the real time rankings, the challenge has widened from single cyclists to participating nations, relying on the desire to make their home country triumph.
In terms of results, despite the immense effort required to participate in the competition and win, the FollowContador cyclists covered a total of 1,460,654 km: a distance that exceeds three times that which separates the earth from the moon.
Cycling enthusiasts were encouraged to enter a competition to win a place on a training camp with the Fundacion Contador Team and Alberto himself and the initiative, developed by Italian agency The Big Now, was promoted through a lead video running across digital and social channels,
and with supporting content carrying the #FollowContador campaign hashtag.
Did you already collect the first badge of #followcontador? Unlock it now with one simple 50km ride! pic.twitter.com/fDN0iynffG
— Polartec (@Polartec) September 9, 2016
Get on your bike to win 5 training days with @albertocontador.
Enter now at https://t.co/C95a9P1up8#followcontador pic.twitter.com/a5qk75q6FR— Polartec (@Polartec) September 9, 2016
We cycled half a million kms with #followcontador! Get your bike now!
Enter: https://t.co/grHKH65ul6 pic.twitter.com/nv3FgYvKUa— Polartec (@Polartec) September 14, 2016
Over a million kilometers cycled during the #FollowContador contest. Thanks to all the dedicated riders! pic.twitter.com/NXl69sS3ds
— Polartec (@Polartec) September 28, 2016
This was a very successful initiative offering 10 lucky winners a chance to travel to Gran Canaria and train with Contador and his team – kitted out in their new Polartec gear of course.
Comment:
This new generation of mobile, digital contests is a campaign that brings to life Polartech’s message that cycling is a sport where prolonged resistance and the ability to withstand the hardest efforts make the difference at any level.
The Fundacion Contador Team’s 2018 summer and winter race kit featured Polartec fabrics: the brand recognises and appreciates the future-focused vision of cycling held by the team founded by the Contador brothers.
Polartec realised that this is the ideal environment to develop and test innovative cycling products with the help of the athletes from the team.
Links:
Polartec
https://www.facebook.com/Polartec/
https://www.instagram.com/polartecfabric/
Fundacion Contador Team
http://fundacioncontadorteam.com/
The Big Now
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