Guinness time for Yokohama following cowboy hat promotion

Yokohama Tire has taken part in a uniquely American promotion that ended up in the Guinness Book of World Records. The tyre maker sponsors the Los Angeles Angels baseball team, and at a game against a team from Texas in early June the team handed out Yokohama-branded cowboy hats to fans. During the fifth inning, the 39,013 fans in attendance were certified as the “largest gathering of people wearing cowboy hats,” topping the old Guinness record of 500.

“Fun promotions like this are one of the reasons we are involved in sports marketing,” said Shawn Denlein, Yokohama director of consumer tyre sales. “They create excitement with fans while helping drive consumer traffic to our dealers. Not only did it break a Guinness world record, but it’s a clever nod to the Angels’ original owner, Gene ‘The Singing Cowboy’ Autry.”

In addition to the Angels, Yokohama’s 2012 US baseball sponsorships include deals with the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. Yokohama also has existing partnerships with four NFL teams: the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots.      From Tire Review