Toyo Tires traces its roots to a textile company with over a century of history.

Toyo Tires traces its roots to a textile company with over a century of history. That’s why their tread patterns are still imbued with the aesthetics of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, resulting in exquisitely-designed products that transcend the realm of mere functional beauty. Tread patterns of Toyo’s tires were dyed into strips of kimono fabric with traditional dying technique from the Edo period.

It draw a clear connection to their resemblance to classic kimono patterns and to direct attention to the artistry and craftsmanship behind the company’s tire tread pattern technology. This helped to change the perception of people that, until then, did not take notice of tires.

The campaign generated 4,000 tweets in just one day of exposure, with 43% percent of the tweets coming from women between the ages of 20 and 30. It was also picked up by a number of online media, many of which were fashion or culture news websites and blogs. As a result, the campaign succeeded in getting a wide range of people to talk about tires, including those that are usually not target consumers for tires.