Goodyear Debuts Ad Campaign at Dealer Conference, Renews NASCAR Contract

Larry Mason, president of consumer tires, officially debuted the new message and accompanying television ads at Goodyear’s annual dealer meeting in Orlando, Fla.

The series of TV commercials feature two blimp pilots flying high above the city in the Goodyear blimp, reflecting on Goodyear’s history of getting people to their literal and metaphorical destinations.

"When it comes to creating a world-class brand and finding a way to connect to consumers, a marketer dreams of having half the enthusiasm and geniune love that the Goodyear blimp brings us," said Joey Viselli, director of the Goodyear brand. "This campaign takes advantage of this valuable emotional asset."

In addition to the brand messaging, Goodyear will also use TV ads to promote specific tire lines, such as the Assurance featuring TripleTred and the Fortera tire line for SUVs.

The campaign was developed by Goodyear in partnership with its creative advertising agency, McCann Erickson of New York.

The ads will make their first national television appearance on Feb. 18 during the Daytona 500. They are expected to be seen by 20 million viewers. The public will also get a chance to see the new "Get There" ads during NCAA March Madness.

Goodyear will also run print versions of the ads in magazines reaching female, sports, automotive and technology audiences. The company is also leveraging search-engine marketing by placing listings on Yahoo and Google, among others.

"While Goodyear is committed to developing best-in-class product innovations that result in breakthrough tecnology and award-winning tires, we know that our communication with end users has to be relevant for them. In essence, a tire buyer wants to know that our products will help him positively reach his destination…to get there," said Viselli.

Also at the meeting today, Robert Keegan, Goodyear chairman and CEO, signed a five-year contract extension that allows for Goodyear to continue to serve as the exclusive tire supplier for NASCAR’s top-three racing series — the NEXTEL Cup, NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck Series.