Yellow rubber ducks in China helped a Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. public relations campaign win accolades as ”One of the World’s 50 Best PR Programs” at the 2014 Global Sabre Awards, winning the Specialist Audience: Marketing to Men category.
“The Goodyear Assurance TripleMax tire was launched in 2013 and is designed to deliver significantly shorter braking distances, particularly when driving on wet roads,” says Ben Chao, vice president of marketing for Goodyear China. “To introduce the tire to the market, Goodyear China launched the ‘Enjoy the Rain’ campaign and chose the iconic yellow rubber duck as the symbol for safer driving in wet conditions.”
More than 1.3 million Goodyear-branded yellow rubber ducks were distributed to drivers in six major cities across China. By scanning a QR code on the rubber duck, audiences connected to a mobile website with comprehensive information about the new tire.
In addition to the distribution of the rubber ducks, the Goodyear campaign was anchored by an ‘Enjoy the Rain’ music video, and utilized a combination of new media channels including online video sites, a mobile site and radio broadcasting. The ‘Enjoy the Rain’ music video of a driver happily dancing in the rain with yellow rubber ducks was shared extensively on social media with more than 13 million views.
Hosted by the Holmes Report and judged by a panel of marketing experts, the SABRE awards are one of the world’s premier showcases of achievement in marketing strategy and public relations, attracting more than 5,000 entries from more than 60 countries.
For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.
