Pirelli launches urban marketing plan

April 8, 2004

Pirelli Tire North America has retained the services of Dele Atanda of Ark Agent in New York as its consultant for developing and managing its urban marketing initiatives.

One of the first fruits of this union is a partnership with Pirelli and Russell Simmons’ Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) to develop a "Controlled Driving" campaign that promotes responsible and safe driving in the urban community.

HSAN is a non-profit organization led by Dr. Ben Chavis, a civil rights worker under Dr. Martin Luther King and former national executive director/CEO of the NAACP.

HSAN seeks to promote social responsibility in the urban arena and the positive aspects of the Hip Hop movement. Its goal is to use Hip Hop to effect positive social change.

Pirelli notes that high-performance, high-dollar cars are often associated with entertainers, including Hip Hop celebrities. These vehicles may come OE with Pirelli tires or are often customized with Pirelli products, the company says.

Pirelli's "Power Is Nothing Without Control" tag line will be used to promote the values of controlled use of power in the sometimes turbulent world of Hip Hop, said Pirelli. “The interpretation of ‘Power Is Nothing Without Control’ is a clear call for safe driving and safe living,” said Dr. Chavis.

Pirelli will be organizing a series of Controlled Driving Days with HSAN, Sean Comb's (aka P Diddy) Blue Flame and Daddy's House and other urban entertainment organizations.

Pirelli also will sponsor a major HSAN summit in 2004 which will focus on Controlled Driving as well as HSAN's voter registration and "Get Out the Vote" initiatives.