Extreme athlete, BFG partner for driving escapades
ASPEN, Colo.—Professional extreme sports athlete and Olympic Gold medal winner Shaun White is partnering with Michelin North America Inc.'s BFGoodrich Tires brand and kicked off a multi-year “Upgrade to BFGoodrich” campaign at the ESPN Winter X Games 15, held Jan. 27-30 in Aspen, Colo.
BFG called Mr. White the “most decorated athlete in Winter X Games history, with 15 medals, a four-time medal winner at Summer X Games and a nine-time ESPY award winner,” and said he will work to upgrade his driving abilities with the help of his new partner.
“I'm looking forward to a great partnership with BFGoodrich Tires,” Mr. White said, adding that he's “always been fascinated with cars and I'm excited to work with the BFGoodrich team on my performance driving.”
He will be taught driving skills by BFGoodrich specialists and a special group of professional drivers known as “TeamBFG,” the tire maker said, with all of the action captured in a series of “webisodes” featured at www.bfgoodrichtires.com/shaunwhite.
“Shaun White is all about performance and pushing the limits when it comes to competing and having fun, and BFGoodrich Tires is all about performance upgrades and fun amplified,” said Jamey Fish, director of consumer experience for BFG. “Through our 'Upgrade to BFGoodrich' campaign, we are literally upgrading Shaun's driving performance on BFGoodrich tires.”
The first webisodes document Mr. White's initial experience with BFG tires under the tutelage of TeamBFG members Samuel Hubinette, Summer X Games RallyCar SuperRally bronze medalist and Formula Drift champion, and Lars Wolfe, Rally America competitor, BFG said. Some of the techniques learned on the first day included buckling a five point harness; dealing with crushed cornering cones caused by a Viper drift machine; and “a considerable amount of shifting, cornering and burnouts,” the tire maker noted.
BFG, an official sponsor of the Winter X Games, has fixed signage and jumbotron spots at the event, commercials on ESPN featuring Mr. White, print advertisements in ESPN The Magazine, and digital ads on ESPN channels.