Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records (GWR ) is the ultimate global authority on record-breaking achievements. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is the biggest-selling copyrighted book of all time with 130 million copies sold to date in over 100 countries and 20 languages.

01 GWR has sold 130 million books in over 100 countries in 20 languages, and over 400,000 Guinness World Records e-books were downloaded in 2012.

2012 was an amazing Olympic year, with many records set or broken at the London 2012 Olympic Games. In the last year, GWR reviewed 38,449 record claims from 174 countries and its team of adjudicators travelled to every corner of the globe to verify 563 record attempts in 63 countries.

Guinness World Records is a brand recognized around the world by people of all ages. Now in its 57th year, the Guinness World Records book continues to top best-seller charts globally. Successfully embracing digital platforms with its publishing portfolio, its e-book editions were downloaded 400,000 times worldwide in 2012 alone. The Guinness World Records 2013 Gamer's Edition is a number-one bestseller at Scholastic Book Fairs in the US, and over 400,000 copies are sold annually.

02 The most “liked” video on YouTube is “PSY - GANGNAM STYLE M/V”, with more than 6,000,000 “likes” by the end of 2012.

GWR's worldwide appeal and exposure around the globe has led to interest from blue chip companies and brands to associate their products and services with GWR. In the last year, the Guinness World Records trademark and brand assets were licenced in 25 advertising campaigns including London & Partners in the UK and Kia in the US. In addition to the 563 adjudicated record attempts, GWR's own events have welcomed more than 3 million people across four continents.

GWR's digital media platforms have been growing at a tremendous rate, reaching over one million fans on Facebook in 2012. GWR's online properties now gather over 14 million people every year, with more than 170 million views to date on YouTube alone.

GWR's success on YouTube has led to the creation of a new TV channel: "GuinnessWorldRecords:OMG!", which was officially commissioned by YouTube to produce exclusive Guinness World Records content. Guinness World Records TV programmes are more successful than ever, with annual audiences of more than 750 million people worldwide. In 2012, GWR aired or produced original productions in the UK, the US, Germany, Italy and China.