Mitch Hutchcraft, Project LIMITLESS

Background

Mitch Hutchcraft wanted to raise awareness of Project LIMITLESS -an attempt of the longest climb of Mount Everest and a record-breaking triathlon from the shores of the UK to the top of the world. Mitch left from Dover, England, on 15th September 2024, and swam 35km nonstop across the Channel, cycled over 12,000km through Europe and Asia to Digha in India; ran 900km to Kathmandu, Nepal, before trekking 360km to Everest base camp – all before beginning his ascent of Mount Everest.

Mitch was raising money for SAVSIM, a non-profit organisation centred around wildlife conservation, dedicated to providing mental health support to veterans and others suffering from PTSD and similar issues. They also contribute to various anti-poaching efforts, helping to protect wildlife around the globe by helping veterans to transition into the field of preventing wildlife crime.

Brief

We were tasked with raising awareness of the final stage of Mitch’s historic Project LIMITLESS in the media..  Mitch wanted the media coverage to help raise money for SAVISM and inspire millions of readers, listeners and viewers, showing the world the power of positivity and human spirit, as well as helping them redefine their own personal limits.

Strategy

The Sway PR team implemented a comprehensive media strategy to maximise media coverage and visibility around Mitch’s mission.

Press releases and interview outreach was issued at key moments in the campaign, with core messaging built around the world-first nature of the triathlon, Mitch’s resilience, and the deeper purpose behind the challenge.

Our PR outreach covered online, print and broadcast media at international, national and regional levels.

Structurally, the campaign was split into three elements. They were:

• Basecamp – News release and interviews were despatched in the hours before the ascent of Everest
• After the summit – Interviews from basecamp were organised on completion of the challenge
• Back in the UK – We also managed the first, in-person interviews back in the UK

Our target audience was wide reaching from interested members of the public to veterans and potential donors, especially considering the objective to raise awareness and drive fundraising.

Knowing Mitch’s background as a former Royal Marine we knew this story would strike a chord with British veterans. While we wanted to reach as many people as possible, we also targeted specific communities where Mitch’s journey would really resonate –  among veterans, endurance athletes and fans of challenges that stretch physical and mental endurance.

The media strategy was planned with great detail, to generate coverage across the board. We pitched to international, national and regional media across print, online and broadcast. We also reached out to veteran-focused publications and general sports media, as well as niche outlets covering adventure, endurance, cycling, swimming and mountaineering.

Outcome

Coverage for the Project LIMITLESS expedition was varied and impactful, leading to significant funds being raised for SAVISM.

In total, Sway PR helped generate 251 pieces of coverage, reaching a combined audience of 119.5m.

There were 37 pieces of offline coverage alongside 179 pieces of online coverage. There were 17 broadcast mentions alone reaching a total audience of 68m.

Highlights include mentions on ITV, BBC, Sky News, GB News and 5 News.

The results of the coverage? Over £20,000 has been raised to date, and Mitch is now seen as a trusted speaker and thought leader on a diverse range of topics.

A word from the client

Mitch Hutchcraft, veteran and adventurer, said:

“I could not recommend the team at Sway enough, the team are so professional and care about their clients and really helped in getting great exposure for our world record breaking charity expedition. Would highly recommend to anyone.”