News Releases

Team Bridgestone Athletes Showcase “Clutch Performance” in Olympic Winter Games Campaign
Ashley Wagner headlines Worldwide Olympic Partner’s U.S. marketing efforts around PyeongChang 2018

Nashville (November 2, 2017) – Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (Bridgestone), a subsidiary of the world’s largest tire and rubber company and the Official Tire of the Olympic Games, is marking 100 days to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 with the launch of a new integrated marketing campaign featuring Team Bridgestone athletes. The activation includes a TV commercial starring figure skater Ashley Wagner and a new, interactive digital brand experience featuring Team Bridgestone athletes – all designed to celebrate “Clutch Performance.” 

Wagner, an Olympic bronze medalist, stars in “Winning Performance,” a new television spot that debuted October 22 and will continue airing through the Olympic Winter Games. The fun execution shows Wagner going for a spin off the ice to demonstrate the crisp handling of the ultra-high performance, all-season Bridgestone Potenza tires. Engineered for drivers who want the most out of their sports car or performance vehicle, Potenza tires deliver ultimate handling and response, especially around sharp turns. 

“Ashley Wagner is one of the world’s best figure skaters, famous for her precision, accuracy and gripping performances on the ice,” said Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “She knows what it means to perform when it matters most, making her the perfect athlete to help us prove how Bridgestone Potenza tires are engineered to come through in the clutch.”

“It was really fun to film this commercial with Bridgestone and experience the performance of Bridgestone Potenza tires first hand,” said Wagner. “Figure skating is incredibly technical and all about performance under pressure, so I’m proud to be a part of Team Bridgestone and work with a company that not only supports the Olympic Movement and its athletes, but truly understands performance at the highest level.”

Starting in November, Bridgestone will launch an immersive digital brand experience at BridgestoneTire.com/performanceinstitute featuring the full Team Bridgestone athlete roster. In addition to Wagner, Nathan Chen (figure skating), Amy Purdy (parasnowboarding), Evan Strong (para-snowboarding) and Elana Meyers Taylor (bobsled) will be included in a digital campaign extension that showcases “Clutch Performance.” A series of dynamic videos will profile Team Bridgestone and highlight how these five great athletes – and Bridgestone tires – consistently step up to deliver in the clutch, no matter what.

“It’s one thing to give your best performance one time, but it’s another thing entirely to be able to do it day in and day out under intense pressure,” said Dobbs. “That’s what Olympians do when they perform on the world’s biggest stages, and it’s something we’ve engineered our tires to deliver for over 80 years. We’re excited that our new campaign, and our full activation strategy for PyeongChang 2018, brings this idea to life.”

Team Bridgestone athletes will be featured throughout the company’s dealer and retail store networks on promotional materials designed to engage consumers through the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. Wagner also will headline a retail-based promotion launching in December that offers fans a chance to meet a member of Team Bridgestone. An additional Olympic-themed television creative featuring bobsled athletes from Team USA also is planned for early 2018. 

Bridgestone proudly signed on as a Worldwide TOP Partner of the International Olympic Committee in June 2014. It also became the first Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel, supporting the groundbreaking digital platform in its mission to celebrate the Olympic Movement and the world’s greatest athletes every day of the year. In the U.S., Bridgestone is a proud partner of the United States Olympic Committee and U.S. Paralympics through 2024, and U.S. Figure Skating through 2018. 

To learn more about the new “Clutch Performance” campaign, Team Bridgestone, and the company’s Worldwide Olympic Partnership, visit BridgestoneAmericas.com. 

 

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About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

Nashville, Tennessee-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.

 

About Bridgestone Corporation’s Worldwide TOP Olympic Partnership:

Bridgestone Corporation proudly announced its agreement to become an official Worldwide TOP Partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on June 13, 2014. The 10-year partnership will see Bridgestone Corporation serve as a Worldwide TOP Partner at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where the company’s global headquarters are located, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and the Olympic Games 2024. The Partnership also includes support for the next two Youth Olympic Games. The long-term commitment to the Olympic Movement furthers Bridgestone Corporation’s proud sporting heritage and history of innovation, which extends more than 100 years, and will showcase Bridgestone Corporation’s commitment to community service, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and respect for diversity – all tenets of the Olympic Charter that also lie at the heart of the Bridgestone brand.