Bridgestone Rivals: Race to the top – a new way to drive customer-centric engagement

This post is sponsored by Bridgestone Asia Pacific.

In an age of endless options and short attention spans, the brands that stand out aren’t just the loudest – they’re the ones that truly listen. At Bridgestone Asia Pacific, we’ve learned that customer-centricity isn’t about doing more, but understanding better. It means knowing when to inform, when to engage, and when to simply create something that brings a smile.

And sometimes, that smile comes from a game.

Reimagining engagement through partnerships

For a long time, tyre marketing followed a familiar path – highlight performance, showcase specs, repeat. But today’s consumers want more than product attributes. They want experiences that reflect their passions and how they live.

For us, it’s no longer just about clicks or impressions – it’s about creating genuine moments of connection. That belief shaped our regional campaign – Bridgestone Rivals: Race to the Top – which was recognised at the 2025 MARKies Awards with gold in Best Customer Engagement and bronze in Best Gamification.

The campaign marked a first for Bridgestone in Asia Pacific – a full-scale activation in partnership with Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport. By working with a brand that already had a strong foothold in the gaming world, we were able to enter a space where our customers play, compete, and connect.

From utility to emotion

It was no longer about just selling tyres – it was about giving people a new way to experience and feel the brand. Gamification isn’t a gimmick. Done right, it taps into motivation, memory, and emotion.

With "Race to the top", we saw strong engagement across Southeast Asia, particularly among younger, digital-savvy audiences, who appreciated the fresh approach. More importantly, we built a bridge between utility and affinity. Instead of leading with product specs, we invited people into the world of tyres through play – and that made the brand feel more relatable, even human.

By turning gameplay into a branded interaction, we opened up a fresh narrative for what tyre brands can represent: excitement, energy, and community. It gave our audiences a new way to connect with us – through shared passion, not just performance data.

Localising through people and places

What made the campaign powerful wasn’t just its digital reach, but how it was brought to life locally. Markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia took the experience further with on-ground activations at malls, dealer shops, and university campuses – turning online energy into real-world excitement.

Importantly, our extensive dealer and retail network also played a major role – not just as a support system, but as key stakeholders in the customer journey. Over 1,400 stores participated across the region, many featuring in-store race simulators, POSM materials, and promotional support. In many ways, our dealers are customers too – and this campaign brought traffic and the brand experience directly to their doorstep.

Listening, learning, and evolving

Customer-centricity doesn’t start or end with a campaign. It starts with listening – deeply – and continues through every reaction, comment, and conversation. It’s a constant loop of learning and evolving.

With "Race to the top", we were reminded that the experience is a powerful differentiator. That we can win hearts not only through performance, but through play. That partnership opens doors we can’t unlock alone. And that we’re not just in the tyre business – we’re in the business of building trust, creating emotion, and delivering solutions for mobility.

Because at the end of the day, customer-centricity means showing up – not just where our customers are, but how they want us to.

This article was written by Pearlina Chan, senior brand marketing lead, Bridgestone Asia Pacific.