Wits University students and Nissan South Africa have geared up for an unofficial World Record attempt. The goal is to set a world first for spending 200-hours inside a Nissan NP200 bakkie.
‘The NP200 Resident’ competition has seen several hundred students enter to be considered for the grueling challenge, but there could be only one. Sibusiso Radebe, a 20-year old, third-year Geology student, got the gig and kicked off his first day in the back of the NP200 on March 24. Radebe, ‘The Resident’, is tasked with chilling out in the Nissan for eight full days and will be welcomed back into the outside world on 1st of April. As well as the chance to become an unofficial world record holder, Radebe will also receive a R10 000 cash prize and a laptop, which he’ll be using to keep in touch via Facebook and Twitter throughout the challenge.
Nissan say their goal is to showcase their NP200′s fun-loving character and versatility, with its class-leading load capacity of 800 kgs, as well as the widest and longest load box in class. Throughout the week The Resident will be kept entertained with daily activities, both planned and unplanned, as his 5am blog entry shows…
Nissan will be sending us The Resident’s video updates as they become available, so check back for his progress and associated student antics in this unusual competition in the run up to grand finale on April 1st. Judging by day-2′s video, let’s just hope he doesn’t get distracted!
Update: Friday April 1st 2011 brought a deserved celebration for NP200 Resident Sibusiso Radebe, who finished up his 200 hours – that’s 8 days – in the bakkie to become an unofficial world record holder.
After 8 days with short breaks five times a day for the necessary ablutions and critical smoke breaks, Radebe was hesitant exiting his NP200 into the excitement around the event’s climax. “It’s just all quite overwhelming you know. After 8 days in relative isolation, even with everybody’s support coming in all the time, to walk out into this kind of charged atmosphere is pretty daunting. I think I’ll get back in my bakkie…” quipped Radebe.
Adds Radebe; “After living in one for eight days, I’d have to say that anyone looking for a real workhorse of a utility vehicle that can also be the centre of the party has no other choice but to buy an NP200. It certainly made even my unusual journey downright comfortable, and I just know a lot of the guys that came by regularly were coming to get a closer look at my hot wheels rather than me! I had to park in some shadowy spots just to get out of the limelight for a few minutes now and then, it has real star character.”
The Resident campaign was supported by VoW (Voice of Wits) FM radio station, with Campus TV also on hand filming the fun on the release day. Tessa Cooke, Nissan SA assistant product manager and coordinator, say “We’ve had tremendous support from the campus media who have spread the word far and wide, while our digital channels like The Resident Facebook page have been touched by thousands of visitors during the week. We’ve had a lot of fun with Sibusiso and the greater Wits family while communicating our No Ordinary Bakkie message, we may just consider doing this type of activation again.”
