Contests and competitions have been used for a very long time now as a marketing tool. Some of these competitions have been quite unusual. But it doesn’t get more unusual than this – a championship for paint-watchers!

The paint-watching championship is being organized by Localtraders.com, an online resource for finding reliable local tradespeople in the UK. Normally, the website works by having people submit details of a job they need done, and several tradespeople bid over the project. Now, they’ve come up with this innovative idea to attract new customers. The “Watching Paint Dry Championships”  is truly a test of patience, mental strength and physical endurance. The way it works is that interested participants should send in a photograph of themselves watching paint dry, along with the longest time they’ve stared at the wall of paint without looking away. They’re also asking for a short write-up about your favorite paint color and why you like it.

Photo by stillayngman

A few candidates would be shortlisted from all the entries received, who will participate in the grand final paint watching competition. The event is to be held in front of media from around the world, at a location in central England. Around half-a-dozen paint watchers would fight it out for the world title. According to Localtraders.com, the sport is quite called for at this time. ” Let’s be honest, with England’s recent performances on the football and rugby pitches most of us would prefer to watch paint dry anyway,” they say on their website.

Regarding the sport itself, the organizers feel that entrants don’t require any vigorous training regime, nor do they need to be physically fit. Previous experience in paint watching is also not requried. What’s more important is “mental strength, concentration and endurance.” They advise participants to get as much practice as possible. It sure does look like the championship is going to get a lot of people interested.