Goodyear Promotes Tires with Tie-in to 'Cars 2'

Akron, Ohio — The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. saw a unique shopper marketing opportunity with the summer theatrical release of Walt Disney/Pixar's "Cars 2," whose lead character was branded with Goodyear tires.Targeting parents, grandparents and other adults who would watch the movie with children, Goodyear's wide-ranging "Cars 2" promotion used digital and in-store components to drive the message that "experts like Disney-Pixar, NASCAR and others choose Goodyear tires for superior performance and tie-ins to our 100-year racing heritage," says Silvana Valencic-Laudato, Goodyear brand manager.Ultimately, the company wanted to steer the movie's adult audience into one of the 5,000 retail outlets for Goodyear tires. The campaign ran for two months coinciding with the movie's June 24 release.The lead animated car, "Lightning McQueen," whose tires are prominently branded "Lightyear," was key to the creative platform. Its inspiration came from the Goodyear logo combined with the Pixar character "Buzz Lightyear" from the "Toy Story" series, Valencic-Laudato says.A revamped website at Goodyeartires.com, launched three weeks in advance of the movie's release, showcased the "Lightyear" character, included behind-the-scenes content from the movie, and provided links to retail locations selling Goodyear tires.Goodyear supported participating retailers by providing signage and in-store materials such as tire toppers and tire stickers. At Walmart, shoppers who purchased Goodyear tires received an offer for downloadable characters from the "Cars 2" video game, and a coupon for a free check of tire pressure and tread depth at Walmart's Tire & Lube Express locations.Goodyear tires also appeared in the original "Cars" movie after film director John Lasseter approached Goodyear to "add authenticity to the 'Cars' story line," says Valencic-Laudato. She notes that Goodyear's promotional tie-in to the first "Cars" movie, though limited, was "well received." That prompted the company to move forward with a more wide-ranging campaign for the sequel. Valencic-Laudato says they are measuring the program's success by looking at online engagement numbers on Goodyeartires.com as well as sales figures.The main creative agencies involved in Goodyear's "Cars 2" campaign were Akron, Ohio-based Hitchcock Fleming & Associates, which developed the in-store POS materials; Austin, Texas-based GSD&M, which created the advertising and in-theater promotions; and Boston-based Digitas, which revamped the website.

Goodyear Promotes Tires with Tie-in to 'Cars 2'

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