An industry-leading marketing campaign

Shell joins Discovery Channel to test its Shell Helix Ultra motor oil

In order to find out how Shell Helix Ultra would perform in some of the harshest environments in the world, Shell has partnered with Discovery Channel to create a three-part television series in which Hollywood stars, paired with professional drivers, tackle the freezing wilds of Siberia, the baking Taklamakan desert in China and the dense jungles of Malaysia.

This innovative marketing campaign, called “Shell Helix Driven to Extremes,” 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, engines and the all-important oil.

“We are delighted to share this real-life test of Shell Helix Ultra,” said Colin Abraham, vice president Marketing, Shell Lubricants. “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. It was a fantastic experience for us and I hope audiences will enjoy following the challenges and the triumphs in the three TV episodes. We are airing the series in 75 countries from March 2013. 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.”

In the first episode, actor Tom Hardy, star of The Dark Knight, is paired with F1 legend Mika Salo. They head along the Kolyma Highway or “Road of Bones” in Siberia, where temperatures can drop to as low as -60 degrees Celsius. Then actor Henry Cavill, star of Superman, is paired with MotoGP champion Neil Hodgson. They travel to China’s Taklamakan desert, 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 actor and star of The Pianist Adrien Brody. They tackle the unforgiving Johor jungle in southern Malaysia during monsoon season, facing local wildlife, torrential rain and mudslides.

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. It also provides more on the purpose-built vehicle and the technical performance of the engine oil, which is being stretched to the limit.

Dan Korn, senior vice president and head of Programming at the Discovery Channel said, “We were pleased to work with Shell on this exciting campaign. Driven to Extremes combines two of Discovery’s best-loved genres in a high-octane adventure series, featuring some famous and highly-entertaining celebrities. This is what Discovery is all about. We’re enormously proud of this series.”