Not another drug scandal this time, this was a great guerilla marketing stunt by a young Corkman who has only recently set up his own food company “The Rocket Man”. The initiative shows the possibilities of what can be done with no budget, but a cool idea, loads of initiative, and a friend who’s great with a camera.
Last weekend I was delighted to be involved in #mountainproject where the highest mountain in Ireland, Carrauntoohill was taken on by 50 “sherpa volunteers” (recruited on facebook!) and led by ‘The Rocket Man’ to carry up his healthy salads and set up the highest street food market ever in Ireland. The event strategically coincided with the June bank holiday, one of the most popular weekends to climb the mountain, and the second race of the Irish Mountain Running Championships, seeing over a hundred people on the peak at some points! For the more amateur climbers among the group though, this was no mean feat, scaling the ‘Devils Ladder’ up into the clouds. The climbing and comradery was unbeatable however and the reward at the top; even better. While some set up the stand at the top, a yoga teacher led a class for everyone to stretch out and relax. Finally, the salads were set to go, with fresh bread and hummus along with the iconic ‘Rocket Fuel’ ginger and blueberry cordial.
Not only the sherpas were fed, but the unsuspecting climbers who were greeted by this display. For any walkers reading this, you’ll understand how fresh food at the top of a climb, through the clouds, would more likely be a mirage than a reality!
The video was shot and compiled by Dog Day Media, the same people who produced the Ballymaloe Space Project and is spreading across facebook and twitter, even using Vine to show some 6 second clips of the laughs had. This Rocket Man Food is such a feel-good model; great food with a real quirky style and hopefully more stunts to come will help spread the hype.
Jane Butler
Intern