Bridgestone Starts NFL Season with a Pep Talk from Jon Gruden

Gruden stars in a new television execution entitled "Pep Talk," that will debut during Thursday's NFL Kickoff broadcast. The humorous spot leverages the Super Bowl-winning coach's signature intensity to demonstrate the trusted performance of Bridgestone DriveGuard tires, which allow drivers to go up to 50 miles to safety after a puncture or loss of pressure.

"Bridgestone DriveGuard tires are engineered to come through in the clutch, which is something that legendary NFL coach Jon Gruden knows all about," said Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. "Coach Gruden is famous for his inspiring speeches when the game is on the line, so it was fun to see him get in that zone to coach up our DriveGuard tires – especially when he realized they don't need any motivation to deliver elite performance."  

In addition to the television spot, Bridgestone is launching an "Elite Performance with Jon Gruden" digital extension of the "Pep Talk" concept. In a series of short, tongue-in-cheek videos, the coach delivers inspiring messages to help fans overcome everything from fantasy football pitfalls to the struggles of Monday mornings.

"The game of football means a lot to me," said Gruden. "To work with a company like Bridgestone, that's aligned itself with the sport at the highest level, makes me very proud to participate in this campaign. Football is about discipline, execution, and performance -- all things that Bridgestone tires are all about, too. Plus, it was a lot of fun to get after that tire!"

On its social channels, Bridgestone also recently debuted a new video series featuring more than 30 NFL rookies, including Deshaun Watson, Leonard Fournette and Mitchell Trubisky. In a mix of inspiring, comedic and educational content that will run August through December, the league's newest stars take on fun Performance Challenges, test their Tire Knowledge, and share personal thoughts on #ElitePerformance with stories of how they've overcome adversity in their careers.

"For more than 80 years, Bridgestone has delivered tires that perform their best when it matters most," added Dobbs. "As we embark on our 11^th season as an NFL partner, we are proud to continue our longstanding support for the sport, engage with its millions of loyal, performance-minded fans, and celebrate what it means to be an elite performer."

As the Official Tire of the NFL, Bridgestone will continue to activate its partnership on NFL television programming, through NFL.com digital platforms, and around several key events, including Super Bowl LII. The company also has local agreements with 13 NFL teams – the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans.

To learn more about Bridgestone and its NFL partnership, visit BridgestoneAmericas.com.

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.

SOURCE Bridgestone Americas, Inc.