Following ‘successful’ Olympic Winter Games debut, Bridgestone turns attention to Tokyo 2020

Upon the conclusion of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Bridgestone has declared its first global activation as a Worldwide Olympic Partner a success. It says it is now looking forward to the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in its hometown, Tokyo.

In addition to raising brand awareness amongst a potential audience of billions of sporting fans and consumers through a multi-channel marketing campaign, Bridgestone was also represented in PyeongChang by the Blizzak winter tyres it supplied to International Olympic Committee (IOC) vehicles.

Bridgestone’s activities related to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 follow a limited debut activation around the Olympic Games Rio 2016. This time round, the company expanded its marketing activities and leveraged support for the Olympic Movement to engage customers in new countries and more key markets around the world.

“PyeongChang 2018 was our first Olympic Winter Games, and also the first of three consecutive Olympic Games in Asia, which is a very important region for our company,” said Asahiko ‘Duke’ Nishiyama, executive vice-president and executive officer, Bridgestone Corporation. “Our Worldwide Olympic Partnership continues to provide a powerful platform for showcasing our world-class products and services, as well as our commitments to community service, environmental stewardship and supporting diversity.”

In support of its ’Chase Your Dream’ message, Bridgestone partnered with more than 30 individual athletes and one team across ten countries as part of a global Team Bridgestone roster of athlete ambassadors. In PyeongChang, Team Bridgestone included five individual athletes and one team representing four different countries. The group collected four total medals and celebrated a series of history-making performances.

• Pierre Vaultier (France) won gold in men’s snowboard cross for the second straight Olympic Winter Games.

• Elana Meyers Taylor (USA) won silver and became the most decorated female bobsledder in Olympic history.

• Nathan Chen (USA) won bronze in the figure skating team event and posted the highest free skate score ever in men’s Olympic figure skating history.

• Maciej Kot (Poland) helped Poland win bronze in the team ski jump – the country’s first-ever Olympic medal in the event.

In March, Team Bridgestone athlete ambassadors Amy Purdy (para snowboarding, USA) and Evan Strong (para snowboarding, USA) will compete in the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. In addition, the company has already started building an even wider global roster of athlete ambassadors ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which will take place in the home city of Bridgestone’s global headquarters.

“Bridgestone is proud to support the Olympic Movement and the world’s greatest athletes, whose inspiring journeys are the heart and soul of the Olympic Games,” added Nishiyama. “As the only Worldwide Olympic Partner with its global headquarters in Tokyo, we look forward to helping the world learn more about who we are and what we do. We are also excited to continue sharing our ‘Chase Your Dream’ message, which aims to inspire people everywhere to overcome obstacles and persevere in pursuit of their goals.”

Bridgestone Corporation became the first Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel in August 2016, signing a four-year agreement to support the digital platform and celebrate the Olympic Movement year-round on the Road to Tokyo 2020 and beyond. In addition to serving as the Official Tire of the Olympic Games and a Worldwide Olympic Partner for Tokyo 2020, Bridgestone Corporation also is a Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Gold Partner.