Yokohama Tire: Shaving Seconds

THE MARKETING ASK: Close the gap on brand consideration by increasing visibility of Yokohama Tire’s 2019 sponsorship of the annual “Porsche GT3 Cup by Yokohama” racing series in Canada.

THE COMMUNICATIONS CHALLENGE: Motorsports racing viewers in Canada had grown exhausted of watching cars.

• Social listening research indicated the category in Canada was on a decline — audiences were continuing to become disengaged from the GT3 Cup event, and other motorsports events across the country.
• When we analyzed the negative sentiment, it indicated that fans were tired of the predictable glorification of the car and its lap stats. 
• If less racing fans were tuning into these events, then our sponsorship would have less visibility to begin with. 

THE UNLOCK: Without people, it’s all just metal and rubber.

• When we analyzed the desires of a modern motorsports fan, research showed that the top reason they originally became fans was because of the “competitive human spirit."
• This synced well with Yokohama’s existing DNA of caring about the human craft at all levels of its driving designs.

THE STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY: Celebrate the role of people to make-or-break a race. 

THE CAMPAIGN IDEA: Shaving Seconds

A documentary-led video campaign that profiled an underdog racing team’s journey leading up to the 2019 GT3 Cup, showing the degree of team-work required from driver, to technicians, to coaches, to achieve speed. The campaign also immersed fans during the GT3 Cup weekend,

allowing audiences to get a first-hand angle of being in the driver’s seat during hot laps, as well as meet and greets with the racing teams.

THE RESULTS:

1. 417% YoY increase in GT3 Cup brand conversations
2. 47% YoY increase in positive sentiment
3. Near 200% increase in YoY search behaviour

Link: https://vimeo.com/3764363