Bridgestone/Firestone is launching its most extensive mass-reach TV and print advertising campaign since the 1980s for the Bridgestone brand.
BFS will kick off the week of Feb. 14 with a full TV campaign for each product family under the Bridgestone brand-Potenza, Dueler, Turanza and Blizzak-and has hired Hollywood director Matthew Rolston to produce the commercials. Mr. Rolston is known for producing TV commercials for Gap, L'Oreal, Old Navy, Revlon and Levi Strauss and music videos for Beyonce, Jessica Simpson, Lenny Kravitz and Madonna.
The Bridgestone commercials will feature a re-mix of the Rosanne Cash song, ``The Wheel,'' and 22 versions of the Bridgestone brand appearing in 15- and 30-second spots in English, French and Spanish throughout the Americas.
``We are enthusiastic about conveying the essence of the Bridgestone brand-innovative, sophisticated and dynamic-in the form of unique music videos, a television advertising approach truly new to our industry,'' said John Gamauf, president of consumer tire replacement sales, Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire L.L.C.
The tire maker, based in Nashville, Tenn., introduced rough cuts of the videos last fall at its dealer conference, held during the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show in Las Vegas.
The new ``music video'' spots will be seen in 2005 on the following networks: VH-1, Spike TV, MTV, The History Channel, TNT, TLC, HGTV, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports, FX, Comedy Central, TBS, Discovery Channel, SCI FI and USA Network.
Mr. Gamauf said BFS has customized these spots to include 20 taggable versions of the five product family image spots and will make them available in three languages for dealers to target their customers directly.
On the print side, Bridgestone ads will appear in these publications: USA Today, People, Playboy, Rolling Stone, AutoWeek, Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track, Jet, Ebony, People en Espanol, Motor Trend en Espanol, Out and The Advocate.
New York-based Grey Worldwide produced the 2005 Bridgestone television commercials while Nashville-based Gish, Sherwood & Friends served as creative agency for the 2005 Bridgestone print ad campaign.
``We are proud of this pioneering advertising initiative and are excited to show consumers our diverse Bridgestone products in such an artistic light,'' said Michael Fluck, BFS advertising and Internet manager.