‘Tyre art’ tour marks new EU legislation

So-called “tyre artist” Ian Cook drove across Europe recently to produce a large artwork to mark the formal introduction of the EU Tyre Label on 1 November, commissioned by tyre maker Goodyear. The British artist, who paints using tyres and radio-controlled toy cars, visited nine European countries in just four days to create the unique piece.

It took 20 toy cars and over 100 tyres to create the artwork, with 27 colours used – one for each EU member state. The painting will be framed and presented to the EU Parliament by Goodyear. The tour began in the UK and visited France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.

Kate Rock, consumer and brand PR manager for Goodyear, said: “We have been preparing for the introduction of the EU Tyre Label for five years, educating and informing key stakeholders throughout the industry about what the EU Label aims to achieve.

“We wanted to create a lasting symbol to celebrate the start of this new legislation coming into effect. We asked artist Ian Cook to undertake an exciting four-day challenge to reach as many people as he could. He travelled through 9 countries visiting iconic landmarks, tyre dealers, automotive institutes and key Goodyear manufacturing facilities.

“As well as creating an original piece of art, the project succeeded to highlight that tyres aren’t just black and round. Consumers will be able to use the EU Tyre Label to drive their future tyre purchases, allowing them to make an educated choice.”