AKRON, Ohio, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT) today announced the details of its promotion of Disney and Pixar's high-octane animated comedy adventure "Cars 2," which opens in theaters nationwide on June 24, 2011.  Inspired by Goodyear and the iconic Pixar character Buzz Lightyear, "Lightyear" tires will reprise the role as animated rubber on the road for the sequel's star, Lightning McQueen.  In honor of the film, Goodyear also transformed its website homepage and iconic blimp to read "Lightyear."

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20050204/GTLOGO )

"Director John Lasseter approached Goodyear during production of the first 'Cars' movie because he wanted it to feel authentic — right down to the tires," said Garth Ely, Goodyear brand director.  "Many experts, such as the drivers in NASCAR, choose Goodyear tires for superior performance, so to receive such an homage from Lasseter and Pixar really means a lot.  The connection between Goodyear's racing heritage and Disney-related films that feature racing storylines is important to us."

In addition to its role in the movie, Goodyear helped bring "Cars 2" to life for the film's World Premiere at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on June 18. Not only did Goodyear transform its iconic California-based blimp to read "Lightyear," but the company also provided thousands of real Goodyear tires to help Disney bring "Tire Town," an activity within the "Cars 2" World Grand Prix Attraction, to life.  The 25,000-square-foot outdoor attraction invites guests to immerse themselves into the world of "Cars 2."

In the digital space, Goodyear "re-skinned" its website (www.goodyeartires.com) by applying a "Lightyear" treatment to graphics and copy. The transformation allows fans, kids and parents alike, to celebrate the fun of "Cars 2" and still be only a click away from shopping for tires and finding Goodyear retailers.  The site features behind-the-scenes content from the highly anticipated movie.

Goodyear will also be taking the leap into electronic gaming by offering exclusive downloadable characters to the "Cars 2" videogame with select purchases at Walmart.  Characters offered to consumers include the specially-designed "Lightyear Racing" car, skinned in Goodyear's Wingfoot paint scheme that corresponds with the company's More Driven brand campaign.

On the retail level, Goodyear will be supporting "Cars 2" via national point-of-sale (POS) activation which features consumer advertising, value-added offers, on-site signage and in-store materials at Goodyear-owned and participating independently owned and operated locations across the country.   POS materials include "Cars 2" themed tire toppers, table tents, tire stickers, temporary tattoos, song download cards and movie tickets, among others.  For complete details on sale offers, visit www.goodyear.com.

Goodyear will also support the film through advertising efforts leveraging the company's More Driven platform, with national print advertorials in FamilyFun and Parenting, broadcast television spots featuring footage from the movie on HGTV, Food and TLC, and in-theater advertising featuring print in-lobby posters, in-lobby Trailervision spots and pre-movie on-screen Screenvision spots.

Goodyear previously helped bring the animated "Cars 2" cast to life for Disney/Pixar's "Agents on a Mission" Tour presented by State Farm. The tiremaker supplied tires for the vehicle ground tour, which featured life-size remote-controlled replicas of film stars Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Finn McMissile.

About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies.  It employs approximately 72,000 people and manufactures its products in more than 55 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.  For more information about Goodyear, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

About The Movie

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in "Cars 2" when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater's action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors. John Lasseter returns to the driver's seat to direct this follow-up to his 2006 Golden Globe®-winning "Cars." "Cars 2" is co-directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar®-winning film "Ratatouille," and produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate producer, "Up"; visual effects executive producer, "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith"). The film hits the track on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. For more information about the movie, visit Disney.com/cars, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/pixarcars, and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/disneypixar.

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company