Bridgestone set for first Olympic Games as TOP Partner
Bridgestone, the world’s largest tyre and rubber company, will be running a variety of promotions and other activities for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 – its first as a member of The Olympic Partners (TOP) Programme.
In addition to being the Official Tyre of the Olympic Games Rio 2016 – which will see Bridgestone supply tyres and related services to support the transport operations at Games time, including the vehicles for the athletes, media and officials – the company’s plans include global and national advertising, retail marketing and digital campaigns. Bridgestone is also running Olympic-themed consumer promotions that will bring the Olympic spirit to life at the company’s retail locations.
In addition, Bridgestone has partnered with Transforma, the official education programme of Rio 2016, to help bring sports festivals and education courses to communities in Brazil. Bridgestone is also presenting an interactive fan experience at the Olympic Golf Course, which includes equipment that will be donated after the Olympic Games to help grow the sport in the country.
"Through our association with the Games, Bridgestone will show the world who we are and what we do, ignite pride among our 145,000-plus employees around the world and engage more deeply with those who rely on our products,” explains Paul Oakley, vice president of communications for Bridgestone Americas. "We are also looking at these Games as an opportunity to showcase our company’s commitment to community service, social responsibility, environmental stewardship and sustainability – all tenets of the Olympic Charter and the International Olympic Committee’s Agenda 2020 that mirror Bridgestone’s core values." The Olympic Games Rio 2016 hold a special significance for Bridgestone, not only as its first Olympic Games as an official partner, but also as the first-ever Olympic Games in South America and the first in Brazil, where the company has for more than 90 years of history.
Bridgestone became an official Worldwide Olympic Partner in June 2014, signing a 10-year agreement that will see the company serve as a Partner of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and the 2024 Olympic Games. Through 2024, the company will also work in partnership with the IOC to support the more than 200 National Olympic Committees and their Olympic teams around the world.
Bridgestone’s marketing rights are currently limited to Brazil, the Republic of Korea, Japan and the USA until the end of 2016, and will be worldwide from 2017.