Can good driving weather be far behind when two of Canada’s tire companies have launched new products carrying lifetime tire tread warranties and a third major player is expected to hit the marketplace soon?
Last week, Bridgestone/Firestone Canada and Goodyear Canada rolled out their new tire entries offering free tire replacement if the tread wears down within the first three years and replacement with a new tire at a 50% discount after three years, as long as the original purchaser owns the vehicle.
Improved tread design and composition of these new all-season products reduce irregular wear of the tires and increase traction and handling in bad weather.
Bridgestone’s Turanza T, which replaces its Turanza S tire, will be available in 26 sizes at Bridgestone retailers early next month.
A newspaper campaign from Promanad Communications of Toronto is already underway in 17 cities across the country.
The campaign will run through to the summer and in addition to point-of-purchase material, radio may be added to the mix later.
Stuart Ballantyne, manager of corporate communications for Bridgestone/Firestone, says because of its premium price and warranty, the Turanza T will especially appeal to the upscale touring car market which includes automobile brands such as Volvo, Lexus and Toyota Camry.
Goodyear’s Infinitred tire, launched in the u.s. early last month, is now in stores in Canada.
The ad campaign for Infinitred begins in early April and marks Goodyear’s return to television after two years of channeling most of its estimated $15 million budget into radio, with the exception of limited exposure on The Sports Network.
Ian McIntosh, Goodyear director of sales and marketing, consumer products, says it will double its television activity over what it has been in the last couple of years while maintaining its strong presence on radio.
California-based comedic actor Thom Sharpe, spokesperson for Goodyear Canada since 1991, will be back in the new television commercial which will be supported by newspaper, radio and direct mail.
All advertising comes from Due North Communications of Toronto.
McIntosh says the two key themes of the campaign are ‘Infinitred, for as long as you own your car’ and ‘from the people who revolutionized wet driving with Aquatred.’
The Infinitred campaign will run through May and then be replaced by a substantial tactical promotion which will feature Air Miles bonuses, discounts on service and rebates on tires.
Goodyear’s radio advertising with Thom Sharpe for Infinitred and for the rest of 1996 was recently completed by Joan McArthur of J.H. McArthur Limited.
McArthur left Due North to open her own radio creative agency this past January, and this collaboration with Sharpe was her last for Goodyear.
McArthur started the humorous Sharpe campaign while creative director at McCann-Erickson (now MacLaren McCann) and continued it as an associate at Due North when it got the Goodyear business in July 1993.
