'Cars 2' Drives Goodyear's Home Page

Goodyear and the Disney Pixar movie “Cars 2” are taking turns playing publisher and advertiser. Heading into the animated picture’s release this weekend, the two companies have struck a rather unusual cross-promotional relationship where they mix the computer screen with the big screen.

First, Goodyear has re-skinned its website to include a sizable ad for the movie. Highlighting the sequel’s main character, it includes the copy: “Lighting McQueen is back. And he still counts on his Lightyear Tires for superior performance.” Viewers who click through can watch a trailer as well as two other sneak peek videos, all while staying on GoodyearTires.com.

Digitas, Goodyear’s agency, is orchestrating the campaign, which includes display ads running on popular publisher sites through the July 4th holiday weekend. “The ads will direct people to the GoodyearTires.com site,” Victor Lee, SVP of marketing for the agency, told ClickZ News.

Goodyear dealers across the nation are promoting the movie with point-of-sale signage. And for good reason: Lighting McQueen only rolls with the fictitious Lightyear Tires, a play on the actual tire brand and Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear character from the studio’s “Toy Story” movies. The Goodyear Blimp has been temporarily rebranded as “Lightyear Blimp” and made an up-in-the-sky appearance at the movie’s Hollywood premiere last weekend. The Goodyear Blimp Facebook Page is also being leveraged to promote the initiative.

In theaters, Lee said Goodyear would receive a pre-movie ad on the big screen before every showing as well as appear via print in-lobby promos. “We are allowing the conversation to happen on both sides,” he said. “The beauty is that Goodyear is such a big part of the film.”

Co-branded TV ads are also part of the integrated effort. For the offline elements mentioned above, Austin, TX-based marketing firm GSD&M contributed to the campaign while partnering with Digitas.