• by Karl Greenberg , February 7, 2008

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire today unveils some new performance tires at the Chicago Auto Show. The timing is right: The Nashville, Tenn.-based company recently expanded its golf strategy by signing on as "Official Tire of the Golf Channel." The deal gives BF and its Bridgestone brand network exclusivity, and allows the company to serve as presenting sponsor of "Live from The Masters."

The company--which has also been tire of the PGA Tour for the last two years and host of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio--also got big placement during the Super Bowl as sponsor of the "Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show," and will have similar exposure during next year's Bowl game. The company also signed a multi-year deal last year as "Official Tire of the NFL."

Phil Pacsi, vice president/North American consumer tire marketing, says it's all part of a strategy to take both Bridgestone and Firestone beyond the realm of motorsports--a comfort zone for tires.

"Bridgestone and Firestone have always been involved in motorsports," says Pacsi. "But when we inked a multi-year deal with the PGA two years ago, that was our next step into more mainstream sports. Since then, we have looked at a lot of different properties to see what makes sense to increase awareness to targeted consumers."

Those targeted consumers are, for Bridgestone, more affluent consumers who see tires as performance-driving must-haves versus just shoes for cars. For Firestone it's families and motorsports fans.

"PGA made good sense for Bridgestone. And NFL was also a no-brainer," says Pacsi. "Our involvement with the half-time show and our overall involvement as official tire sponsor of NFL and of the Golf Channel gives us an opportunity to expand on our relationships, and for golf to reach a demographic that focuses on golf and watches it [on TV]."

He says the Golf Channel deal is the first such arrangement with a "very specific network." The company uses ad AOR Dallas-based Richards Group and Richards Sports Marketing to help bring ideas to the table. Next month, per Pacsi, the company will make another major announcement involving another sports property.

On the Golf Channel, Bridgestone will run its current slate of golf-themed ads. The company will also get hundreds of "Official Tire" billboard placements with the message "Get the Most Out of Your Game" during the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and Live from the Masters tournaments.

Pacsi says all of the new Bridgestone sports activity does not come at the expense of sibling Firestone brand marketing. "We continue to have involvement for Firestone with Indy 500, and also have other things planned from a sports perspective. He says a similar program is in the works, but "that deal isn't signed yet."

While Firestone is the exclusive tire supplier to the Indy Racing League, including the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Pro races, Goodyear is exclusive tire provider for Nascar.