The Pimp My Tuk Tuk Challenge 2015 – Sri Lanka
Following on from the overwhelming success of The Pimp My Tuk Tuk 2013 Challenge - India, in
September 2015 a group of 40 intrepid travellers will embark on the Pimp My Tuk Tuk 2015
Challenge – Sri Lanka. This is a gruelling drive around Sri Lanka in colourful custom designed Tuk Tuks
(known locally as auto rickshaws) – nearly 1200km through the beautiful Sri Lankan countryside
from Jaffna to Colombo, 7 days and 20 fabulous Tuk Tuks – its Colombo or bust!
The key objective of the Pimp My Tuk Tuk (PMTT) team is to raise funds for our chosen charitable
partners. As with last year, we are working with a local foundation in our destination country and
also with a charity in Singapore (where many of the PMTT team live and work). In Sri Lanka we have
elected to partner with the Foundation of Goodness, and in Singapore with Food from the Heart –
both very worthy causes that we are passionate about.
Charities
Foundation of Goodness Sri Lank - www.unconditionalcompassion.org
Food from the Heart Singapore - www.foodheart.org/index.php/about-us
In addition we will be collecting donations of clothing and school equipment from our companies to
distribute locally at schools along the way – last year we brought in 6 large boxes of excess baggage
of around 120kg donated from various staff from International Banks and Brokerages in Singapore.
As well as being an adventurous way for participants to experience some of the wonders of Sri
Lanka, its people and to put lots of smiles on faces along the way, this is a fantastic chance for us all
to give something back to those in Sri Lanka and Singapore who are not as fortunate as our own
families.
The PMTT team is now working hard to encourage donations from all directions. Corporate sponsors
are especially welcome, and we have already received a number of early indications of interest. Last
year for example, Subway Asia participated as a key sponsor, and the company was able to benefit
from the exposure in India and around the Asian region that PMTT generated – via international,
regional and local press coverage delivered through television, online digital and print channels. We
agreed to start and end our journey at Subway branches and our story was featured on the Subway
global website. We will be using the same PMTT logo and branding (with small adjustments) as
before for recognition and consistency.
Please help the Pimp My Tuk Tuk team to maximise the funds we raise – in 2013 we raised in the
region of SGD 75,000 and we are expecting to comfortably exceed this total in 2015. The designs of
the Tuk Tuks are yet to be finalised , but there are opportunities to sponsor PMTT 2015 through a
variety of strategies – for example through full branding of Tuk Tuks or advertising spaces, tour gear
that will be worn / used on the journey and overall media exposure – we are totally open to
discussing any other sponsorship ideas. There is also the aspect of “internal” marketing to consider –
many of the PMTT team are senior executives at global multi-national companies and financial
institutions.
Corporate Sponsorship
Please do visit our website at www.pimpmytuktuk.net where you can find out more details, or
contact the Corporate Sponsorship team to discuss partnership opportunities - Eamonn Ling
[email protected] or Michael Phelps [email protected]
Here are some details about our 2013 trip through India, together with some of the highlights and
achievments that we are particularly proud of.
In 2013 11 Tuk Tuks and 21 drivers started in Chennai and drove westwards across India before
turning north to finish in Goa – we stopped overnight in 7 cities along the way and covered in the
region of 1200 km. The landscapes and roads we traversed were beautiful, very varied and at times
rather challenging. There were plenty of fun times, moments that tested our nerve and resolve and
some very emotional times. Along the way we stopped at a school for blind children, 2 orphanages,
a home for orphaned kids who were HIV positive (and all under the age of 12) and we even played
an impromptu game of cricket with a group of kids in the back streets of Mysore. At each venue we
distirbuted the donated items and school paraphenalia we had brought with us, which were joyfully
received. There were lumps in throats all around, but we brought many smiles to many faces, and
hopefully some moments of hope and happiness.
Our India Journey
Day One involved collecting and becoming familiar with our custom designed and newly painted Tuk
Tuk’s. The start of our journey was hosted by the Indian Round Table.
We generated much press coverage both in Chennai in the local press and further afield, with
Subway Sandwich globally, Channel News Asia across the whole of Asia, and we even had local
Mysore Radio wishing the Pimp My Tuk Tuk team best wishes for the Mysore Dasara (the famous
annual festival).
Chennai Chronicle 6th Oct 2013 Channel News Asia Interview
Along the way we stopped in many places and here are just a couple of pictures:
Sponsorship & Advertising
With regards to advertising, in 2013 we had many smaller sponsors but our strategy for 2015 is to
promote corporate fund raising via sponsorship of an entire Tuk Tuk (or Tuk Tuks) with fully
customised designs and branding.
For example: A possible design for a local beverage company.
Sponsorship costs for Sri Lanka 2015 are:
FULL DECAL TUK TUK and Main Sponsor T-shirt Logo (Full Front Chest) USD 25,000 (Platinum x1)
FULL DECAL TUK TUK and Standard T-Shirt Logo USD 20,000 (Gold x10)
FULL DECAL SUPPORT TRUCK and Standard T-Shirt Logo USD 15,000 (Silver x1)
COMPANY BANNER’S (BACK - TWO SIDES) and Standard T-shirt Logo USD 10,000 (Bronze x18)
Bronze sponsorship is shared. All sponsor logos will be on upright banners and visible at each hotel
entrance and lobby that we stop at, and at all media events.
The image below shows the design on the back of the polo t-shirts worn on the India Challenge (each
driver was issued with 2 shirts), which had all of our sponsor’s logos on the arms of each shirt. For
the Sri Lanka Challenge we plan to sell the t-shirts which we will promote through constant
marketing and the money raised will go to our charity partners, increasing exposure of the shirts
generally (estimated volume at circa 200 pieces and popular with kids!).
On our return to Singapore our donations were split between the Singapore Childen’s Society for
needy and desperate families at around USD 35,000 and USD 40,000 went to Round Table India for
onward allocation to specific projects.
The School that Pimp My Tuk Tuk built:
The Pallikarnai School Chennai, with pride and courtesy of Pimp My Tuk Tuk.
In summary
We are excited to discuss sponsorship opportunities in more detail and would be delighted to
present, or just to talk further about, the Pimp My Tuk Tuk ethos and experience. Of course we also
have an extensive archive of images and memories from our last expedition.
Please support us in any way possible – every little counts. As a team we look forward to your
positive responses.
Yours Sincerely and Thankfully,
The team @ The Pimp My Tuk Tuk Challenge 2015 – Sri Lanka.