Case Studies > Events > AIM Series

The Challenge

• To build an infrastructure for British snowboarding in a period of fragmentation and disenchantment with existing competition

Our Approach

• To acquire sponsorship and sanctioning for the creation of a Series of domestic British Championship events staged on artificial and indoor snow slopes around the country with which to identify and cultivate young talent and provide an accessible route through to the British Championship finals held in Europe
  

• Integrate a schools tour program that took professional athletes and spokespersons into the classrooms of surrounding schools to promote snowsports and encourage first-timers along to the events for a free introductory lesson increasing participation levels and providing aspiration
  

• Forge a partnership with a leading European freestyle resort to cater for all abilities, particularly Britain’s top athletes, and thereby elevate the standard of riding, and encourage extensive and positive exposure from the country’s core and lifestyle press titles, radio & television

• Ex-British Snowboard Champion and founder of Soul Sports, Stuart Brass, along with co-director Spencer Claridge possessed the necessary credentials to instil confidence and source financial investment from a previously cynical crowd of industry brands to implement the ambitious plans and unify the British competitive scene

Results

• The AIM Series is the prominent focus into freestyle snowboarding and freeskiing for the public and media alike

• The AIM Series has grown year-on-year since it’s inception in 2002

• The AIM Series has presented to 50,000 school children and introduced over 4,000 new participants to snowsports

• The AIM Series, with the exception of the US, represents the largest National Championships in the world

• Following a successful year of competition, freeskiing was introduced into the AIM Series to extend its already considerable reach

• Founders presented with a Ski Club Centenary medal for their significant contribution to snowboarding/ skiing.

• Orange became title sponsors in 2003 and released AIM Series branded snowboarding game, Snow Jam, to become one of their most popular downloaded handset games

• The Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Show (Britain’s largest snowsports’ show) hosts a stage of the Orange AIM Series

• Over 90 mainstream titles, 58 Regional, 50 core titles, 15 radio stations, 18 TV stations featured the Orange AIM Series 2005 & Orange Brits 2006

• £4,171,324 PR value for Orange AIM Series 2006, as supplied by independent media analysis consultancy, Metrica

• View 50 samples of ALL the AIM Series elements

Paddy Graham "British Halfpipe Champion 2005". Promotional Shot for Orange

Client Quote

• Darrell McLennan Fordyce, Head of Sports Marketing, Orange PCS. "Orange has enjoyed a close partnership with Soul Sports in delivering the Orange AIM Series and Orange BRITS with the events growing year on year in popularity, strength of execution and delivery of results. Soul Sports have continued to be innovative and professional throughout and ensured all the partners have worked together in delivering a really exciting series of events. We have enjoyed working with them in growing snowsports throughout the UK."

• Al Green, Vice President of Snow Industries of GB (SIGB) "The AIM Series marked a significant shift in the professional approach to competitive snowsports in the UK, from its progressive infrastructure and meticulous organisation through to its crucially important PR activity – a level of execution confirmed by Orange’s subsequent title sponsorship. Soul Sports also displayed an intuitive understanding of the snowsports industry to integrate a schools program that provided a clear supported passage from grass roots snowsports through to international competition. The Series has, for the first time, created a professional structure that enables riders and sponsors to maximise the opportunities available within the sports of snowboarding and freeskiing"

• John O'Grady, Chairman (Snowboard), Snowsport GB "Snowsport GB are thrilled to sanction the Orange AIM Series and have benefited greatly from the professionalism that Soul Sports have injected into these sports. They have also managed to bring to snowboarding and winter sports in general a sense of fun and excitement that had previously been missing from competitive Snowsports. It’s difficult to imagine a better case scenario"