Firestone steps up to the plate with Major League Baseball TV and print advertising campaign

Firestone is digging into the batter’s box and swinging for the fence with a season-long advertising campaign airing on Fox Sports Network broadcasts of Major League Baseball.

Throughout the spring, Firestone’s product offerings are being featured in more than 2,200 30-second spots running during Fox’s Major League coverage. The brand will also be appearing regularly on billboards during televised games and highlighted in the animated custom “Fox Box Leaders” graphics elements.

Firestone will additionally have print ad inserts in the programs of the four premier Major League events during the season: The All-Star Game, the National League Championship Series, the American League Championship Series and the World Series.

As part of the advertising campaign throughout the season, Firestone brand will also be featured in game day programs or yearbooks — and in many cases, both — of all 29 continental U.S. Major League teams.

As presenting sponsor of each of the 25 teams featured on Fox’s season-debut telecasts, Firestone spots aired on opening day and throughout the opening week festivities.
The 2008 baseball ad campaign strengthens the company’s initiative to sponsor and advertise on a number of high-profile professional sporting events, according to John Baratta, president of the company’s North American Consumer Replacement Tire Group.

“Baseball has a rich tradition as our national pastime,” Baratta points out. “Firestone is an iconic American brand, so I’m thrilled that Firestone will be there when millions of fans tune in to hear the umpire shout ’play ball.’”

This is not Firestone’s first foray into baseball. In 1925, Harvey S. Firestone Sr. – founder of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. – dedicated a 13-acre baseball and softball complex in Akron, Ohio. The Firestone Stadium, which is still used today by the Akron Racers of the Women’s Fastpitch Professional Softball League, was constructed for recreational opportunities of Firestone employees as well as the numerous baseball and softball teams in Akron. In 1998, the company donated the historic stadium to the City of Akron.

Bridgestone Firestone recently entered into numerous high-profile sports sponsorships with its Bridgestone brand, including the Official Tire of the NHL, Official Tire of the NFL, Official Tire Sponsor of the Super Bowl and NFL Pro Bowl, and presenting sponsor of the NFL International Series Game. Bridgestone is also the official tire of the PGA Tour, and it sponsors the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational played at the Firestone Country Club in Akron.

The company’s Firestone brand is the Official Tire of the Indianapolis 500, as well as the IndyCar Series and IndyPro Series. Bridgestone Firestone also has local and regional sponsorships with teams such as the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators.