Michelin Premier TV ads debut

GREENVILLE, S.C. (March 20, 2015) — Michelin North America Inc. (MNA) is debuting a television ad campaign designed to highlight its Michelin Premier tires.

The line — which the tire maker touts as having an “emerging” tread as the tire wears — at the same time is expanding by 11 passenger sizes.

Introduced in April 2014, Michelin's Premier A/S uses the tire maker's EverGrip technology, which combines a proprietary rubber compound, hidden grooves in the shoulders that emerge as the tire wears down and expanding rain grooves around the center that widen over time in order to prolong the safety characteristics of the tire. The new sizes bring the line to 44 SKUs.

The Greenville-based tire maker said it also plans to debut a light truck version, the Premier LTX, later this year.

Michelin's new ad, developed by TBWA\CHIAT\DAY in collaboration with animation firm Psyop, emphasizes the firm's commitment to safety by depicting an emotional moment between a father and daughter.

“The creative follows the journey of a father and daughter, as the young driver leaves home and takes to the road, navigating various unforeseen driving situations as the seasons change. The storyline brings to life the peace of mind afforded to the father by choosing the right tire,” Michelin said.

The commercial spot will debut March 22 during CBS-TV coverage of the NCAA basketball tournament. Future airings will include a mix of outlets, such as Weather Channel and ESPN, the tire maker said.

“We've found that most consumers don't think about tires until they need to replace them, but performance over the lifetime of a tire is what is truly important,” said Scott Clark, chief operating officer of MNA's passenger and light truck tire division. “The goal of this creative is to remind consumers of this and understand what a key role they play in the long-term safety on the road.”

The Michelin Premier A/S received a 2014 Best of What's New award from Popular Science magazine, a 2014 New England Motor Press Association/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Automotive Award and other positive endorsements from various consumer publications.