For the next couple of weeks, Goodyear is all in on “Akron Born.”
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has conceived of a way to celebrate Akron natives LeBron James and Stephen Curry in the NBA Finals: local childbirth and the company’s blimps.
Bear down, er, with me. This will soon make sense.
Parents of children born in Akron-area hospitals starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday through June 19 (the date for Game 7 of the Finals, if it gets that far) will receive, courtesy of Goodyear:
• A set of four tires.
• An “Akron Born” onesie for their child.
• A car seat.
Not to belabor the point, the Akron tire maker calls its promotion a “Most Valuable Ride” care package.
Goodyear says it will celebrate the birthplace of James and Curry “by getting the next generation of Akron greats off to a winning start.”
Three Akron-based medical facilities — Summa, Cleveland Clinic Akron General and Akron Children’s Hospital — will participate and help deliver the care packages, the company said in a news release. The program builds on the company’s recent Safe Mobility Project with Akron Children’s Hospital, Goodyear said.
For the completely uninitiated, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James was born Dec. 30, 1984, at Akron City Hospital, now Summa Akron City Hospital.
And Golden State Warriors superstar and current MVP Stephen Curry was born on March 14, 1988, also at Akron City Hospital. Curry’s dad, former NBA player Dell Curry, was a member of the Cavs at the time.
“Akron is a special place and Goodyear wants to celebrate the great things that are born here,” Seth Klugherz, Goodyear’s director of North America marketing, said in a news release. “The support we have received from our community partners truly represents the foundation of this program and we are excited to recognize this in an impactful way that will produce delightful moments for some deserving families.”
Goodyear’s social media campaign around “Akron Born” includes a chance for someone to win a ride on a blimp.
Goodyear is asking consumers around the nation to take pictures of Goodyear tires on their vehicles and share them on Twitter and Facebook using the #AkronBorn hashtag. One winner will be selected for a blimp ride.
Goodyear said community members born in Akron may post a photo of themselves and use the #AkronBorn” hashtag to show their pride.
For #AkronBorn details, visit Goodyear’s Twitter (@Goodyear) and Facebook platforms (Goodyear).
In any case, congratulations, new parents! It’s a set of four tires!
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him @JimMackinnonABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/JimMackinnonABJ.