• by Tanya Gazdik , September 7, 2017

Bridgestone Americas, the Official Tire of the NFL, has partnered with Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden for a nationwide marketing campaign breaking today.

The season-long initiative, which focuses on showcasing and celebrating elite performance, is timed to coincide with the start of the company’s 11^th year as an NFL partner and centers on “Pep Talk,” which will debut during the NFL Kickoff broadcast on Sept. 7. 

The spot leverages the spirited football coach’s signature intensity to demonstrate the trusted performance of Bridgestone DriveGuard tires, which allow drivers to go up to 50 miles to safety after a puncture or loss of pressure.

“Coach Gruden is famous for his inspiring speeches when the game is on the line, so it was fun to see him get in that zone to coach up our DriveGuard tires — especially when he realized they don’t need any motivation to deliver elite performance,” says Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, in a release.

Bridgestone's NFL activation strategies this year include a digital extension with Gruden; social content with many of the NFL’s top rookie players; a presence on NFL television programming, NFL.com digital platforms, and around several key events (including Super Bowl LII); and local agreements with 13 NFL teams.

In addition to the TV spot, Bridgestone is launching an “Elite Performance with Jon Gruden” digital extension of the “Pep Talk” concept. In a series of short, tongue-in-cheek videos, the coach delivers inspiring messages to help fans overcome everything from fantasy football pitfalls to the struggles of Monday mornings.

On its social channels, Bridgestone also recently debuted a new video series (which will run through December) featuring more than 30 NFL rookies, including Deshaun Watson, Leonard Fournette and Mitchell Trubisky. The league’s newest stars take on fun Performance Challenges, test their Tire Knowledge, and share personal thoughts on #ElitePerformance with stories of how they’ve overcome adversity in their careers. 

As the Official Tire of the NFL, Bridgestone will continue to activate its partnership on NFL television programming, through NFL.com digital platforms, and around several key events, including Super Bowl LII. The company also has local agreements with 13 NFL teams – the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans.