YOKOHAMA CONNECTS AUDIENCES TO RACING CULTURE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

In its first socially-led brand campaign, Yokohama Tire Canada is activating the finale of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama to celebrate the human expertise that fuels our motorsports culture.

According to the Statista Research Department, an astounding 43% of motorsport fans say they watch events like Formula 1 because of the human competitiveness of drivers and teams. But in reality, most motorsport brands try to connect with fans through just the car — images, videos and content that only highlight the machine and its technology. Yokohama realized celebrating the car wasn’t enough. Fans are as passionate about who drives and prepares the car as the car itself. They want to see the people, culture, and relationships behind racing. 

Shaving Seconds was born during the 2019 GT3 Cup as a short documentary that lets fans dive into the story of why our race car drivers, coaches, engineers, mechanics and designers do what they do.

The creative program is a partnership between Yokohama Canada, Canadian driver Parker Thompson and his dynamic team at Toronto’s premier auto shop Sportscar Boutique, as they relentlessly apply their craft to push the boundaries of speed during the GT3 Cup series.

Leading the campaign is a mini-documentary that humanizes how crafts and skills are applied to prepare the vehicle. In addition to the mini-doc, fans will also get opportunities to further connect with the campaign on a deeper level, through immersive social media experiences — live access, behind-the-scenes content and a photography series that challenges race car photographers to shoot beyond the vehicle.

"We are excited to take our brand activity on social media to the next level," says Diana Colosimo, Brand Development Manager for Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. "The 'Shaving Seconds' initiative will further position our brand as a storyteller in a maturing social-age."

Socially-led creative agency, We Are Social, created the campaign in partnership with PR agency Citizen Relations to humanize motorsports culture in Canada and get fans to feel more connected to the GT3 Cup finale, by focusing on the people behind performance.