Bridgestone is rolling out a new North American campaign for its Firestone brand that highlights the integral role its tires play in improving a vehicle’s performance.

With Canadian media handled by ZenithOptimedia and Toronto-based DAC group, and creative by Firestone’s North American AOR Leo Burnett Chicago, the “Drive a Firestone” campaign targets adults aged 25 to 54. The first TV initiative for the brand in recent years, the campaign features spots that will air on specialty channels, including TSN, Sportsnet, History Channel and National Geographic.

Chris Killeavy, account director, ZenithOptimedia, tells MiC that a return to TV offered the brand the best opportunity to tell a deeper story about the brand’s tire performance. He adds that the decision to leverage only specialty channels allowed the brand to target a more specific audience segment of people who “live hard and play hard,” and ensure deeper engagement.

The campaign will be supported by digital display ads and radio spots that will roll out later.

The campaign creative, which was adapted for the Canadian market to focus on tire performance, while the US campaign also focuses on service. It features a more rugged tone and depicts vehicles easily performing difficult driving tasks and overcoming rough terrain because they’re equipped with Firestone tires. The spots end with the tagline “Whatever you drive. Drive a Firestone.”

The “Drive a Firestone” campaign will run for six weeks.

[iframe_youtube video=”er6q3uER1LE”]

[iframe_youtube video=”AXU6GoED3Xo”]