Michelin's "Beyond the Driving Test" Wins Community Relations Campaign of the Year from PRWeek

For example, the penny test was highlighted. You simply place a penny into a groove on the tire where the tread appears lowest. If any part of Abraham Lincoln’s head is covered by tread, your tires have the legal and safe amount of tread. If not, your tires aren’t safe enough.

"A spot-on, authentic campaign to impact a tough-to-impress group," explained one judge.

In addition to teens, parents and state legislators were also crucial audiences. Michelin created a Glove Box Guide on tire safety that parents could share with their kids. Simultaneously, Michelin reached out to all 50 states to encourage the inclusion of tire-safety information in their drivers’ education materials by 2020. A six-state commitment was the objective.

The videos drew more than 1 million viewers, with 359,000 social actions taken with the YouTube stars’ on-line audiences. The number of states providing adequate tire-safety education rose from two to 13, with eight coming directly from Michelin’s campaign.

"This effort fired on all cylinders," explained one judge. "The impact on a policy level was impressive and very likely to make a real difference."