Who: Yokohama Tire, with Dentsu Creative for strategy and creative. Yokohama handles its own media.
What: “Made Precisely For You,” a new integrated campaign built around the idea that Yokohama tires provide drivers with so much control and traction, they can handle whatever life throws at them.
When & Where: The campaign launched Monday, and is running on TV and as online video, along with radio and social.
Why: Following a fall rebrand (which was also carried out by Dentsu Creative), Yokohama’s strategic positioning is that it makes tires specific to the needs of Canadians. This campaign brings that concept to life by showing and talking about how its high-quality tires provide such precise control, they can meet any and all needs—meaning they’re made “precisely for you.”
“We’re really excited about this campaign because at its core it reinforces the importance of Yokohama’s mission—keeping us safe on the road—and why it matters to make tires precisely for the conditions all Canadians confront,” said Diana Colosimo, national brand manager at Yokohama Tires, in a release.
How: There are two fairly distinct tactics in this one. The anchor 30-second TV / OLV spot presents a bit like a performance sports car ad, opening with a driver in racing gloves and safety helmet getting behind the wheel and starting up the car, though a voiceover quickly makes clear this is about tires. “How do we demonstrate the precision of Yokohama tires,” he says, as the driver hits the gas and pushes the car (and the tires) through a heart-racing series of spins, drifts, tight turns, and hard stops.
“We test them, and perfect them for every curve, every ride and all your reasons to drive,” the voiceover continues, before closing the spot with the tagline: “Yokohama: made precisely for you,” at which point an overhead shot reveals that the driver has been spelling out the word “you.”
“We set out to truly showcase the tires, and what better way than to focus on the treads and precision movements made possible by Yokohama tires,” said Dentsu Creative ECDs Julien Thiry and Michael Aronson in the release.
The other assets, meanwhile, take a less Fast-and-the-Furious and more slice-of-real life approach, considering a wide range of scenarios where Yokohama is precisely the right tire for the moment (as in the radio execution below).
The two approaches are intended to be complementary, said Thiry in an email. “The TV/OLV is to set the stage and to communicate our new brand positioning—precision safety, for life. The remaining assets are to bring a real-life feel to the campaign.
And we quote: “When you think about all the individual stories on the road, all the reasons to drive, a good set of tires becomes so important; from carpooling your kids to swimming lessons, to road trips with friends, to Uber and taxi drivers.”—Diana Colosimo, national brand manager, Yokohama Tires
