Later this month Apollo Tyres Ltd will launch ‘Beat the Winter’, a new consumer-facing digital marketing campaign to promote the introduction of the Vredestein Wintrac Pro+, the latest addition to the Vredestein premium winter tyre range.
Due to go live on 21 October, the campaign will feature an 8-bit style racing game that can be played on mobile and desktop devices, challenging players to race on a digital track against the Vredestein brand ambassador, Giancarlo Fisichella, to accumulate points and win exclusive prizes.
Points will be awarded according to race times and the number of ‘power-ups’ collected. In early 2025 the scores will be assessed, and five winners will be announced. Prizes include a VIP hospitality package for the forthcoming Vredestein-sponsored Ski Championships, sets of Vredestein winter tyres, and winter-themed goody bags. Additionally, the first 100 contestants will receive a Vredestein Cap signed by Giancarlo Fisichella himself.
The ‘Beat the Winter’ campaign will highlight the capabilities of the Vredestein Wintrac Pro+, a dedicated premium winter tyre for ultra-high-performance cars and SUVs – including the latest generation of performance-focused electric vehicles.
The campaign, which will run until December 2024, will be activated in nine countries across Europe: Austria, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium and Spain.
‘Beat the Winter’ can be found at: www.vredestein.co.uk/wintrac-pro-plus/
“We know a significant proportion of our target audience play some sort of online game on a daily basis,” explains Yves Pouliquen, Vice President, Commercial, Europe at Apollo Tyres. “This new campaign provides an exciting and creative new route to drive brand awareness and build the profile of the Wintrac Pro+ among those with an instinct for high performance.”
Moving the game on in the high-performance winter tyre segment
Compared to its Wintrac Pro sibling, the new Vredestein Wintrac Pro+ winter tyre has an advanced new tread compound that helps deliver improved standards of grip, traction and braking performance on snow, slush and ice, as well as a reduction in rolling resistance for improved fuel efficiency / enhanced driving range. It also retains the Wintrac Pro’s superior wet grip rating and segment-leading durability.
The Wintrac Pro+ is available now and is offered in a choice of over 120 sizes for rims from 17- to 22-inches. Most products in the new Wintrac Pro+ range have a ‘Y’ speed rating, making them appropriate for use at speeds of up to 300 km/h (186mph), and all are certified with the ‘Three Peak Mountain Snowflake’ symbol, indicating compliance with EU winter tyre regulations (ECE R117) for use on snow and ice.
To help the tyre bite into snowy surfaces, the Wintrac Pro+ features a new tailor-made blend of next-generation polymers and resins that facilitate greater flexibility in the tread-blocks, even at extremely low temperatures. The new compound is complemented by a tread pattern that incorporates sharply angled centre grooves and shoulder sipes to ensure consistent cornering response in challenging winter conditions.
Equal pressure distribution across the tread optimises traction on snow, while horizontal sipes in the central area facilitate progressive braking and acceleration. As a result of these measures, on snow the new Wintrac Pro+ has 4% better braking, 5% better traction, and up to 20% better handling compared to the Wintrac Pro (reference size, 245/45 R18 100V XL).
The tyre retains the high levels of durability associated with the Wintrac Pro line, featuring an advanced new blend of polymers and fillers in the tread compound to help resist wear; more than sufficient for use across multiple winter seasons. The Wintrac Pro+ builds on the success of the Wintrac Pro which was independently rated as delivering segment-leading mileage*.
Also contributing to the tyre’s lower overall whole-life cost is the reduced rolling resistance – as much as 7% lower that the Wintrac Pro (size, 245/45 R18 100V XL). The use of low-hysteresis materials in the tread and body compounds help the tyre jump a label class for rolling resistance in many of the available dimensions.
Proven winter performance across six decades
The Vredestein brand has been active in the winter category since the 1960s, when it launched its pioneering M&S 187 winter radial tyre. The first generation of Wintrac tyre was launched in 1996 and the range has evolved significantly ever since, notably with the arrival of performance-focused derivatives, including the Wintrac Xtreme and Wintrac Pro that have given enthusiast drivers the assurance of superior all-weather cornering grip, short stopping distances and impressive control even at high speeds.
[END]
Notes to editors
* Tyre Reviews – Independent field testing; published 20 November 2023; Audi A6 fitted with six competing variants of winter tyres in 255/40 R19 format.
21 October 2024
Anicecommunication, media relations Apollo Tyres – Vredestein Italy
