Cutty Sark Crossing
Greece’s first sponsored annual adventure event and how it always ended up in a wild party!
In the early stages of EY ZHN, the core activities were paintball and adventures in nature (rafting, canyoning, trekking etc.). However, Kostis – Yannis & Thanassis wanted to find THE IDEA that would differentiate them and would establish EY ZHN to the Greek market.
After research & brainstorming, the idea was finally born! A 5-day adventure, in the wild nature of Greece, promoting values such as freedom, adventure, and exploration. Divided in teams, the crews would compete in various tasks including extreme sports & mind riddles, all related to nature. That was an innovation, at the time.
The next step was to find the brand that would embrace the idea and give their name to it. Following numerous meetings & presentations with dozens of companies the ideal partner was found. W.S. KAROULIAS with the brand “Cutty Sark” whiskey was the one that believed in this project. That was the beginning of Cutty Sark Crossing in 1993! This project lasted for 6 consecutive years and gave unforgettable moments to hundreds of participants.
Cutty Sark Crossing Adv. | 1994
Cutty Sark Crossing led to strategic synergies with 4x4 automotive companies (Suzuki, Nissan, Toyota etc.), a variety of innovative activities (different each year) and the exploration of unknown and not easily accessible locations in Greece!
Cutty Sark Crossing Adv. | 1995
In the evenings, around the fire, with abundant food and good music, we created the ideal conditions for unique moments, new friendships, relationships, and even… weddings! Each year the “mission” would come to an end with the much-expected award ceremony, a wild party at the luxurious hotel that was the finish line.
After an exhausting week at mountains, gorges, seas and forests, that was the only gathering of everyone (participants, organisers, media representatives), with civilization. Thanassis, Kostis and Yannis were usually the first ones to land in the pool with torn up clothes, as a token of revenge (!) from all the rest, who of course used to have the same fate moments later!
Cutty Sark Crossing became a unique adventure in Greece, a dream for thousands of adventure lovers, an experience of a lifetime for those who managed to participate, a new brand – landmark of the ’90s. At the same time, it constituted a remarkable communication and promotion tool of the newly established brand “EY ZHN”.
