Supermen swarm Sears HQ in Hoffman Estates, set world record

June 5, 2013 (HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.)

Supermen and superwomen at Sears Headquarters in Hoffman Estates- hundreds of them in full costume. This is one of those publicity stunts you just have to cover.

It's a publicity stunt because this is all about Sears and Warner Brothers teaming up to promote the new movie "Man of Steel" which opens on June 14th.

Sears is one of the characters in the film.

"The movie will feature Kenmore and Craftsmen product. Superman's father uses Craftsman Tools and works at a Sears," said Ron Boire, executive VP, Sears and K-Mart.

But let's get back to this incredible collection of Sears employees who, during their lunchhour, tried to set a new mark in the Guinness Book of World Records. The old record of 437 supermen was set by a Canadian company, but Sears plans to be more powerful than a locomotive and demolish that.

For a salesman of kryptonite vaccinations, this is the mother lode- a record number of men of steel, almost 700 of them. But they all fly like bricks.

One of the supermen makes a flying attempt, and ABC7's Frank Mathie asks: "Wow! How far did you go?"

"About four feet," a Sears superman says. "That's better than I did in high school."

Another Sears superwoman stages a flying act. Frank Mathie asks: "How fast are you going?"

"About as fast as you're going," the Sears superwoman said.

"And I'm not going anywhere," said Mathie.

"Well, then I'm not going that fast either," the Sears superwoman said.

Seven hundred costumes were handed out to the employees, but well over a hundred of these men of steel wimped out and went back to work before they were counted.

"I'm delighted to say Sears in Chicago sets a new Guinness record with 566," said Philip Robertson, Guinness Book of World Records.

It's enough to make you dance faster than a speeding bullet.

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