Sony unveiled the motion making star of its latest marketing campaign in front of the world's media at a dramatic night-time shoot in Venaria, Italy this month. A modern take on a 19th century classic, the BRAVIA-drome was today confirmed as the 'World's Largest Zoetrope' by a Guinness World Records adjudicator. The construction's final measurements were officially recorded as a circumference of 31.41 metres, equivalent to a diameter of exactly 9.998 metres. At nearly two and a half metres in height, the adjudicator required the assistance of several helpers and a step ladder during a tense fifteen minutes of measuring.
FIFA World Player of the Year and AC Milan soccer legend Kaka was also present at the unveiling as still images of him performing his signature moves had been placed inside the BRAVIA-drome for its first ever public performance.
"I didn't expect it to be quite so big, even though I had seen the dimensions on paper," said Raymond Marshall, the adjudicator from Guinness World Records. "When it started to spin, I could only watch in amazement. I never believed it would actually work due to its sheer size. It is definitely a new Guinness World Records(TM) record."
But not content with setting just one brand new world record, Sony also invited renowned football freestyler Dan Magness to the unveiling to entertain the crowds with a further three Guinness World Records(TM) record attempts. Dan warmed up with an awesome display of flicks and tricks, as the crowd cheered him on, before going on to smash all three records.
He performed 188 'Football Rolls Across The Forehead,' a record which had previously stood at 56, and spent three minutes and ten seconds 'Controlling A Football On The Back' (breaking his own previous best of two and a half minutes). He also set a brand new record for 'Most Consecutive Football Touches With The Shoulders,' bouncing the ball 251 times without breaking a sweat.
"I felt like I could just keep going and going," said Magness, "the crowd were great and I wanted to put on a show for them that they'd remember for a long time. The BRAVIA-drome was a hard act to follow, but I really went all out and I am just glad Sony gave me the chance to be part of the whole event."
The BRAVIA-drome was designed to demonstrate the technology behind Sony's Motionflow 200Hz functionality, which eliminates all jerkiness and smoothes the images on screen as they happen. The football theme was chosen as watching a match is one of the best ways to fully appreciate Motionflow, allowing viewers to watch the flight of the ball as it crashes into the back of the net.
"We wanted this to be more than a television ad shoot," said Giles Morrison, General Manager, Marketing Communications Europe for Sony. "This was about creating a spectacle that people would never forget. The four world record attempts really helped add to the whole experience. At Sony, we always aim to be the best at whatever we do."
BRAVIA-drome: Vital Statistics
-- The optimum speed of the BRAVIA-drome is 44kph
-- The BRAVIA-drome can reach speeds of over 50kph
-- The BRAVIA-drome measures 10m in diameter
-- It takes ten men three days to fully assemble the BRAVIA-drome
-- The BRAVIA-drome is transported by two 40ft trucks
-- It took six weeks for the BRAVIA-drome to be built in full for the
first time
-- Weighing in at ten tonnes, it is the biggest zoetrope ever built
