TYRE MANUFACTURERS AND FOOTBALL: A PREMIER PARTNERSHIP

The football universe, with its global media reach, has provided a showcase for numerous tyre brands, helping them to become household names. Since the early 1990s, and with the arrival of international sponsors in football, tyre manufacturers have established themselves as a benchmark for this type of sponsorship. Capitalising on the image and status associated with the world’s favourite sport, brands have quickly forged partnerships with clubs, as well as with tournaments and associations.

Continental: the pioneer

A pioneer in football sponsorship, Continental has made the beautiful game its marketing weapon of choice. Sponsor of the local Bundesliga club, the German brand has invested in partnerships with associations and major competitions to boost its image on the international scene since 1995. It first sponsored the UEFA Champions League from 1995 to 2000, before moving on to the European Championship and the FIFA World Cup, spending up to €50 million for top billing.

Since then, Continental has distanced itself from FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) but rather than withdrawing from the football industry, the manufacturer has instead opted to tackle emerging markets. In 2015 it signed a lucrative new contract with the Chinese Football Association (CFA), to complement existing partnerships with national federations in Spain and Germany.

Bridgestone, Hankook and Goodyear

Following Continental’s example, Bridgestone and Hankook have established partnerships with major regional competitions offering international visibility.  In 2012, Bridgestone signed a deal to become the main sponsor of the Copa Libertadores club tournament in South America, gaining the naming rights for the competition. 

Korean manufacturer Hankook has chosen the Europa League, UEFAs second European club tournament, for its marketing campaigns. Recently, Hankook has also started sponsoring popular clubs such as Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Goodyear has adopted a similar strategy, signing a sponsorship deal with international football giant Bayern Munich in 2016.

Pirelli and Inter, a lasting relationship

It is, of course, impossible to talk about tyres and football without mentioning Pirelli. The Italian tyre manufacturer is widely recognised thanks to its legendary partnership with Inter Milan. Inter’s players have been wearing the Pirelli logo on the European scene for many years now and the club’s successes and top players have often been associated with the brand. This partnership, spanning 21 seasons, has produced five Italian championship titles, four Italian cups, a Champions League victory and a UEFA cup.

In 2016, Pirelli signed another 5-year deal with Inter. The tyre manufacturer also sponsored FC Basel between 2005 and 2015.

The Premier League

As the championship with the most extensive media coverage in the world, the English Premier League is an obvious choice for brands looking for publicity, and tyre manufacturers are no exception. In 2015, Yokohama agreed a shirt sponsorship deal with Chelsea worth a record £40 million per year. The same year, Nexen signed an agreement with Manchester City, and not to be outdone by their neighbour, Manchester United followed suit a season later signing a global agreement with Apollo. Satisfied with its partnership with The Citizens, Nexen has re-signed to become the club’s first Official Sleeve Partner, meaning that the Nexen Tire logo will be seen on the sleeves of City shirts.

This British trend for tyre sponsors was initiated by Maxxis, which in 2009 established a partnership with Liverpool. Other partnerships worthy of mention include Kumho and Tottenham, Cooper and Arsenal, as well as Davanti Tyres and Everton.

Targeting the European market

If the Premier League ranks highly for media exposure, lesser-known tyre manufacturers have seized some equally attractive opportunities in other football markets. Indonesian tyre brand Achilles agreed a partnership with Paris Saint Germain- a popular team both in Europe and Indonesia. 

Chinese manufacturer Linglong has similar ambitions. Supporting VFL Wolfsburg in recent years, the tyre brand is now partner with Juventus Turin.

The German market remains highly profitable for a number of tyre manufacturers including Falken, which has previously sponsored multiple clubs in the Bundesliga, and which today sponsors Hambourg, Bprussia Mönchengladbach, Union Berlin and Hoffenheim. The manufacturer has also deployed a new strategy on a European scale and sponsors a total of 18 clubs, including Atletico Madrid and Champions league winner Liverpool.