• Brandweek, Thursday, October 19, 2006 12:45 PM

Tom Tiller, CEO of the Polaris brand of all-terrain vehicles, is challenging his rivals to a driving contest to determine which truly makes the "world's toughest" ATVs. Any competitor who accepts is being asked to ride his top-of-the-line model on a track in Las Vegas on Nov. 16.

A Web site, www.polarisduel.com, chronicles any news on the event and features the track design, the vehicles that will be involved, and a blog site. It also includes, as an online game, "Declare-a-Duel," which allows users to engage in an online ATV riding challenge against each other.

As unlikely as it is that a competitor will take the bait, Tiller's strategy is to build brand awareness on the back of his better-heeled foes, which include Suzuki, Honda and Arctic Cat. "These other companies can outspend us 20-1, and there's not a lot we can do about it," says Tiller.

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