Automakers are always looking for new and creative marketing campaigns. Some are better than others, but someone at Ford of Europe came up with an idea that'll scare anyone who's afraid of heights. Those seeking adventure, well, this is right up your alley.

As part of its "explorers are never done" campaign, the Blue Oval hired a crane and had a new Ford Explorer Plug-In Hybrid placed at the top of the 154-foot (47 meters) OVER climbing tower in Lillesand, Norway. It's the tallest free-standing climbing tower in the world. Fourteen pro climbers were then invited to attempt to scale the tower, reach the SUV, and set a time. Only the top six fastest finishers proceeded to the final round.

The winner was 21-year-old Leo Ketil Boe who raced all the way to the top in just 3 minutes and 33 seconds. His prize: a two-year lease on an Explorer PHEV along with a 3D-printed tower replica as a trophy. Don't think this was just some quick publicity stunt involving a crane, the Explorer, and a camera crew. The whole thing required six months of meticulous planning.

Engineers and architects were called in to determine whether the tower could even support the combined weight of the platform and the SUV. Once that received the all-clear, Ford turned to champion climber Martin Mobraten to design a tough route to the top. If that wasn't already difficult enough, Mobraten and Ford then upped the stakes by extending the climbing surface beyond the observation deck to the tower's top.

The OVER tower's core structure is made from solid wood and there's a total of 144 feet (44 meters) of aluminum climbing surfaces bolted to its four sides.

"Norway is one of the world's most progressive markets for electrified vehicles, so the OVER tower was the clear choice to host a challenge involving our pure-electric-capable, seven-seat SUV," said Ford senior communications manager of Europe Dan Jones.

For some better perspective regarding the tower's height, it's possible to see across the Skagerrak straight body of water to Denmark from the top. Ford says the Explorer will remain parked at the top until August 27. Those who aren't afraid of heights can take the stairs and get a free T-shirt if they reach the top.