Stride Gum Presents Heaven Sent

Words fall short (so to speak) when attempting to describe a death-defying stunt like this. Nevertheless, my task was to write the press release for “Heaven Sent.”

 

 

This first-of-its-kind “Stride Gum Presents Heaven Sent” event will be broadcast LIVE by FOX on July 30, 2016 at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST when world-class skydiver Luke Aikins jumps out of a plane with nothing but the clothes on his back and lands safely on the ground in the Southern California desert. The special will offer an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into Aikins’ training and preparation, before culminating in the historic skydive.

Watch Aikins’ historic, record-setting jump here:

A third-generation skydiver, the 42-year-old husband and father has 18,000 jumps under his belt and helped train Felix Baumgartner for his historic Stratos jump. While he has performed a variety of skydiving stunts for tent-pole action films, this will be his most challenging jump by far. By negotiating his fall and landing using only air currents, Aikins will make skydiving history.

“Whenever people attempt to push the limits of what’s considered humanly possible, they’re invariably described as crazy,” said Aikins. “But to me, this jump is simply the next logical step in a lifetime of extreme challenges.”

The Stride Gum brand from Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) is sponsoring the historic live stunt experience. “When we first heard what Luke Aikins was going to attempt, our jaws hit the floor,” said Bonin Bough, chief media and e-commerce officer for Mondelēz International. “Bringing Luke’s vision to life will redefine what’s possible for skydiving and stunts moving forward. His focus, courage and intensity inspire us on so many levels.”

“Luke is actually a very down-to-earth guy,” said Laura Henderson, global head of content & media monetization at Mondelēz. “But his thinking is so bold and intense that we all felt this was the perfect event for partnership as we launch our new mad-intense Stride Gum.”

Perhaps no one is better prepared to take on such a challenge than Aikins. In addition to his movie stunt work, Aikins serves as a safety and training advisor for the United States Parachute Association (USPA) as an instructor to the instructors. As the owner of Para Tactics, Aikins provides advanced skydiving training to elite military forces such as the Navy SEALs. He is also a staff member at Kapowsin Air Sports in Washington and has contributed to the family legacy with three world records.

“Everyone is calling this my ‘coming-out jump’ – which is ironic considering I’ve been skydiving since the age of 16,” said Aikins. “But nothing even comes remotely close to this. I expect Heaven Sent to change me, skydiving, and the future of live spectacles forever. It’s going to be mad-intense and I’m thrilled to have Stride Gum on board as my partner.”

“Stride Gum Presents Heaven Sent” will be broadcast live as a one-hour special on July 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT as part of the Fox network’s coverage of 2016 “Teen Choice Awards” weekend.

Co-created by Chris Talley of Precision Food Works and Amusement Park Entertainment’s Jimmy Smith, the event is being produced by Mondelēz, Amusement Park Entertainment, and four-time Emmy winner Al Berman. In addition to the FOX broadcast, the event will be available via online streaming and pay-per-view around the globe.

“It’s not every day you get a chance to be part of something that’s truly historic,” remarked Talley. “We’re very proud to support Luke in this amazing endeavor. Minds will be blown all over the world when Luke makes his giant leap.”

“Heaven Sent is the epitome of what we do at Amusement Park: create a larger brand story that is so compelling, it can’t help but become part of the cultural landscape,” said Smith. “I’ve never worked on a project so inspiring and mind-boggling all at the same time. It’s one of those events where perhaps over a billion people will remember exactly where they were when Luke made history. Dope!”

Aikins’ leap represents the culmination of a 26-year career that will set a personal and world record for the highest jump without a parachute or wingsuit. In fact, it’s precedent-setting, since it’s never been done before—period (at least, not intentionally).

“Of course, this is a personal goal, but I’m certainly not doing it alone or in a vacuum. Beyond all the marketing hype, this is a once-in-a-lifetime feat that has taken the world’s best skydiving experts, scientists, and engineers many lifetimes to pull-off,” added Aikins.

 

ABOUT MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL

Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ) is a global snacking powerhouse, with 2014 revenue of $34 billion. Creating delicious moments of joy in 165 countries, Mondelēz International is a world leader in biscuits, chocolate, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages, with billion-dollar brands such as Oreo, LU and Nabisco biscuits; Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate; Trident gum; Jacobs coffee and Tang powdered beverages. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, NASDAQ 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/MDLZ.

 

About the Amusement Park Universe

Our companies are manufacturers of pioneering creative content and entertainment, tech and unique products, business models and branded relationships, as well as old school groundbreaking advertising. For more information, go to www.amusementparkinc.com or www.amusementparkent.com or visit @HeavenSentAPE on Twitter.

 

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