Belle Tire | Making Change
We’re changing tires.
The tire game is all about volume. But at the same time, the old formula of Madman Muntz shouting about his latest giant tire blowout sale became so ubiquitous that audiences didn’t even notice anymore. So we worked with Belle Tire to develop a new way forward, a campaign called We’re Changing Tires. Spanning broadcast, OOH, and a robust CRM program, it captured audience interest to the tune of 7.7% growth in online revenue and an incredible 15.8% boost in average order value. Just goes to show: change can really add up.
Take It Away, Tire Man
Of all the brand assets Belle Tire had, none were as recognized—or beloved—as Tire Man. (Unlike the Town Fair Tire mascot, Tread, who gave me nightmares as a child.) So why not give life to this trusted icon as the embodiment of Belle Tire?
Tire Man Comes to Town
Belle Tire was already a billion-dollar business, but who wants to settle? The next phase of their growth was predicated on the Chicago market, which became the main focus of our OOH work. Tire Man popped up throughout the area with a friendly wave and a pithy line. Not only did our OOH get Belle Tire an extra four points of market share in and around Chicago, it got Tire Man some traction on Reddit, too.
CRM Keeps Belle Tire Rolling
Just because we had turned the volume down on typical tire store retail messaging didn’t mean we had lost sight of sales volume as the ultimate measure of success. That’s why we developed the most sophisticated, hard-working CRM program Belle Tire had ever seen. Reaching an audience of 2.3 million people across 180+ locations, Belle’s distro list was a powerful tool waiting to be used—but it had to be used the right way. With a sophisticated segmentation model, customer sales data, and proprietary tools, we created messaging tailored to real-world variables like tire and vehicle age, customer service expectations, and even weather. By the end of its first quarter, our CRM program helped deliver the best quarterly sales results in Bell Tire’s 100 year history while slashing unsubscribe rates by 31% YoY. Bet Madman Muntz can’t say that.
Tire Man Sounds Familiar
Every year, Belle Tire grandees gather in Detroit for what’s known as Tire Prom. Accomplishments are celebrated, standout employees are recognized, everyone sings along to Uptown Girl while watching the video (at least that’s how I picture it), and finally the highlight of the evening, the Belle Tire hype video. And for 2025, yours truly was the voice of it. Which begs the question, does that make me the voice of Tire Man?