• by Tanya Gazdik , May 7, 2019

The symbol of a tiger has long been associated with Uniroyal, thanks in part to its Tiger Paw line of tires.

Now, the company is formalizing the relationship with a new brand symbol, “Royal,” a tiger cub wearing a crown and sitting inside a Uniroyal tire

When the Tiger Paw tires were introduced in the 1960s, a cartoon tiger starred in Uniroyal ads. Tiger Paw tires were the original tires on the Pontiac GTO during that era. 

Today, Tiger Paw tires still represent a large segment of Uniroyal's portfolio. The new icon was created just ahead of the largest product launch in the brand's history: the Tiger Paw Touring All-Season, available to consumers in June. 

"The tiger is reliably strong and protective, as are Uniroyal tires," states Olivia Le Meur, Uniroyal brand director. "As we have our biggest product launch in history this year, we want a brand mascot that can help tell our story.”

Artist Jared Emerson was responsible for creating the image, which includes a series showing Royal as a tiger cub -- a nod to the brand bringing value to families. The tiger's name, "Royal," is also a link to the brand's heritage. U.S. Royal was the predecessor to Uniroyal and has remained a Uniroyal trademark for decades.

Consumers will begin to see Royal in various settings and poses as the brand launches more than 100 sizes of the UniroyalTiger Paw Touring A/S in 2019.