The Snow Leopard
We discovered Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong – a Ghanian skier working in the reception of a snowdome – by keeping our ear to the ground and having a gut feeling about something. Six years previously he hadn’t skied on snow, yet he now found himself facing the possibility of competing at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. However, the former student badly needed funds to help him realise his dream. And with only two months to go, he needed them quick.
We knew that his had the potential to be a fantastic story. We were convinced that the media would love Kwame, and his plight fitted perfectly with Paddy Power’s commitment to supporting the underdog. Heavyweight Sport set to work sponsoring the Snow Leopard.
Snow Leopard Olympic Bound
So, we did a deal with Kwame and the Ghanaian Ski Federation!
The sponsorship was launched at the Hemel Snow Dome, with Paddy Power and the Snow Leopard in attendance.
Over 30 outlets turned up to our media day, and the Slalom Sensation was featured in numerous articles including The Sun, Daily Mail, News at Ten (have a look at the clip!) , Channel 5, Telegraph, Yahoo, Nuts, and OSM magazine.
Kwame Army
On social media we activated the 'Kwame Army' and allowed fans to sponsor a leopard spot on his ski jacket, thus providing further funds for Kwame.
And, with a puff of powder snow, The Snow Leopard was off to the Olympics.
Our pal Kwame came second-to-last, but you know what? He lived his dream, and we helped him and Paddy Power gain over £500,000 worth of PR value. Job done!