Michelin is rolling out the first global advertising campaign in the firm’s history. It will carry the theme of “the right tire changes everything,” which is intended to illustrate the competitive advantages of the company’s tire lines.
“In response to today’s increasingly competitive business environment, Michelin has decided to launch an unconventional global campaign to explain to consumers the benefits of using its tires,” according to spokeswoman Lynne Slovick Fowler.
“Michelin tires simultaneously deliver enhanced braking power, greater longevity and superior fuel efficiency,” she says. “The campaign shows that by using the right tire, consumers can reduce fuel consumption, increase driving safety and extend tread life.”
With a nod toward Michelin’s iconic advertising posters from the first half of the 20th century, the new ads consist of a 3-D animated presentation involving “Bibendum” – the Michelin Man – who comes to the aid of motorists in trouble, replacing their faulty tires with Michelin tires that he pulls from his body, thereby enabling them to keep driving.
The worldwide effort, created by the TBWA agency, will launch initially in the United States and then be gradually deployed in 55 countries – in Europe and Asia in early 2010, followed by Africa, the Middle East, India and South America.
The U.S. rollout is set for Oct. 6, with the ads to appear mainly on television, in print media and on the Internet. The U.S. launch includes an enhanced digital strategy introducing the official Michelin Man Facebook page and a dedicated YouTube channel.
For more information, visit www.michelinman.com/the-right-tire.
