Uniroyal NailGard Tire Demo Nabs 1999 Best of the Times Award

Getting consumers excited about tires is no easy task, but one company was able to do it in award-winning style. The Uniroyal NailGard Tire Demo Unit from Michelin Americas Small Tires was named the Best of the Times winner in the 1999 Design of the Times awards competition.The display unit was quite an attention-grabber at The P-O-P Show/Chicago as show attendees gathered to see how the Uniroyal tires with NailGard prevent flats. By depressing the lever arm of the display, attendees could force a hardened masonry nail through an actual tire casing, replicating what happens when a vehicle drives over a nail. The tire rotates 360 degrees on a threaded axle, allowing it to be punctured over its entire tread surface. A puncture counter (similar to an odometer) on the plunger unit keeps track of the number of times the tire has been punctured.How do the NailGard tires work? When something like a nail punctures the tire, a rubber sealant that lines the interior of the tire clings to the nail. When the nail is pulled out, the sealant then seals the puncture.To ensure that retailers and consumers would not be injured while using the display, the actual puncture mechanism is encased in a clear, PETG shroud. A security arm can also be attached to the unit to prevent it from being used by children.Greenville, S.C.-based Michelin has reported that launch sales of the new product were so good that a second run of 485 units was needed after the initial run of 500 units. "Additional orders are still being placed. Our goal is to get a total of 2,000 units out by the end of this year," says George Aufmuth, manager of marketing communications for the Uniroyal brand.The display, created for distribution to independent tire dealers, was designed and produced by Mirro Products Co., High Point, N.C. Marcus Thompson, design director, and his crew at the company originally submitted renderings of six design options to Michelin. He says the final design concept was chosen because of its ability to fit on an existing two-tire display base. Thompson also says the design was chosen because it was safe and sturdy.

Uniroyal NailGard Tire Demo Nabs 1999 Best of the Times Award

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