PIONEERING AUTO CARE
At the end of 2023, we were invited to lead a strategic, branding, and creative initiative for one of Bridgestone’s largest undertakings in recent years. A project that had visibility to the highest levels of the organization, up to global leadership in Japan.
Given the complex structure of the enterprise and the matrix of many business units involved, there were several pivots along the way. But our agile team navigated them all.
During our initial strategic presentation, the concept write-up rooted in Harvey Firestone’s spirit of Pioneering Auto Care elicited an enthusiastic ‘F#@k yeah!’ from the most senior Bridgestone person in the room.
And when the store opened in early 2025, Bridgestone Global CEO (at the time) Ishibashi-san gave the store and our ‘genba’ (store walk-thru) presentations and videos a standing ovation.
It’s still a work in progress since it’s a lab store. But we’ll keep updating it as we test and learn.
INNOVATION HUB INTRO VIDEO
A longer form video we shot and edited using archive footage to introduce the store internally and to stakeholders. I’ve shot in a lot of extreme conditions, but Charlotte, NC in January was freezing. Trace Adkins was, uhm, interesting to direct on this one.
LEADERSHIP VIDEO
A video we shot and pieced together as a presentation to the Bridgestone global leadership.
STORE LAUNCH ONLINE VIDEOS
Two spots made with our in-house production and animation teams that aired in Charlotte to announce the new store’s opening.
IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
The first pieces that we worked on were the revolutionary in-store fixtures, featuring all of the different products and services the store will be offering. These things are huge. And each end sports an 85” display with rotating messages.
We wrote and presented more than 200 lines (often within an hour or so) for these materials as needs changed or involved. It was incredibly fun.
Here’s a selection of some of our faves.
OUTDOOR
BOLTING CEREMONY
As we were working on the launch of the store, we conceptualized a ribbon cutting ceremony that fit the business a little more than slicing a sash. So the plan was to have a ‘Bolting Ceremony,’ where the attending VIPs will put a lugnut on a ceremonial plaque. With each of them going home with a custom made socket in a super ‘kawaii’ mini toolbox we sourced from Toyo Steel in Japan.
The original idea was to have the sockets forged of ‘Firestonium’ – a special alloy created from a melted down artifact or two from the Harvey Firestone archive and steel, but the archivists put the kibosh on that idea.