Our idea was simple—great things are born in Akron.

Because Akron has been the birthplace of two particularly valuable babies born in 1984 and 1988, we wanted to support the valuable babies being born in 2016. So for every baby born in Akron during the NBA Finals, we pledged to give away new tires for the first ride home from the hospital.

From June 2 through the historic Game 7 on June 19, we honored the birthplace of the two MVPs facing off in the Finals by helping to get the next generation of Akron greats off to a winning start. Any new babies born in Akron-area hospitals during the NBA Finals received a “Most Valuable Ride” care package consisting of a set of Goodyear tires, an “Akron Born” onesie and a brand new infant car seat.

In under a week, we coordinated with local hospitals to help surprise the new parents. Then through short-form video, social content, print advertising and community engagement, we celebrated Akron and the great things that are born there.

The campaign extended nationally with a social media campaign asking consumers to take a picture of Goodyear tires on their vehicle and share it using #AkronBorn for the chance to win a ride in the world-famous Goodyear Blimp.

In the most-watched NBA Finals since Michael Jordan, Goodyear became one of the most talked about brands during the Finals without ever setting foot on the court.

In the press, the story spread far beyond the modest confines of Akron. An exclusive feature was authored by USA Today with support by the Akron Beacon Journal and the Associated Press. In total, 710 stories were generated resulting in over 88.9MM impressions.

On social media, fans engaged with the #AkronBorn campaign. That included over 240K video views and over 4.4MM social impressions, including 35K impressions of the #AkronBorn hashtag featured in real-time tweets during the NBA Finals.

All of this, despite the fact that we spent a fraction of what other big-name brands did. And when it came time for Cleveland to celebrate its first championship in 52 years, it was the Goodyear Blimp that came home with the trophy.