Hercules Tires Strengthens Strategic Partnerships

In 2020, Hercules Tires launched an exclusive, multi-year partnership with 32 colleges and universities, spanning eight NCAA conferences, that was secured and activated through Van Wagner. Now, Hercules Tires, a subsidiary of American Tire Distributors (ATD), continues to build its legendary sports marketing portfolio with two additional sponsorships on the basketball court - the Hercules Tires Ultimate Fanatic Basketball Contest and Hercules Tires Big South Campus Tour. These sponsorships are the company’s latest initiatives meant to grow brand awareness and build connection across local communities.  

The Hercules Tires Ultimate Fanatic Basketball Contest provides a chance for participants to showcase their school spirit through a 20-second Instagram video. Not only will they showcase why their team is the best, but they’ll also demonstrate how they’re the ultimate fan. The winner will receive two tickets to the 2022 Men’s or Women’s Conference Basketball Championship. Other prizes include a swag pack with their favorite college gear and a $50 Amazon gift card.

“We’re proud to support the colleges and universities in our Hercules Tires-sponsored conferences and look forward to seeing all of the creativity and school spirit,” said Josh Simpson, senior vice president of Hercules Tires. “This provides us with another way to support our local communities and get the Hercules name out there so these die-hard basketball fans know that Hercules will deliver the performance they expect with the choices and affordability they deserve.”

In addition, Hercules tipped off its annual Hercules Tires Big South Campus Tour by hosting men’s basketball virtual game promotions with each Big South institution this month. The tour looks different this year due to COVID-19 restrictions with a new digital engagement platform allowing fans to participate from the safety of their own homes. Fans are also able to answer trivia questions on game days, giving them the chance to win prizes, including custom ear pods and other Hercules Tires swag.

“We hope these prizes and promotions bring the game day excitement to fans and help them feel like they’re back in the stands at a big game,” said Simpson. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to engage with these loyal fans at a grassroots level and introduce them to the Hercules brand. We want them to know that next time, when it’s time to make a tire purchase, we’ll be right there at their side.”

Both basketball activations are set to run through the end of February. For more information, please see the full details below.

Hercules Tires Ultimate Fanatic Basketball Contest

To enter the contest, eligible participants must follow @HerculesTires on Instagram.

• Participants will create and post a 20-second ultimate fan video showing their support of a school from one of the nine Hercules-sponsored conferences (America East, Big South, CAA, MAAC, Southland, WAC, WCC, Big West and Sun Belt)
• They also need to mention @HerculesTires, plus the hashtag of their school’s conference.
• The contest runs until March 1, 2021 at midnight ET

Winners will be chosen based on the following criteria:

• Originality and creativity of each submission (25%)
• Commercial appeal of the submission (25%)
• Overall quality of the submission (25%)
• Participant’s success in representing their school spirit (25%)

Hercules Tires Big South Campus Tour

To participate in tour promotions, visit the Big South accounts on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, in addition to the hosting schools’ social media accounts the morning of the scheduled game day. Each account will provide a link that allows fans to enter their email and play the Big South Trivia Game. By halftime the answers will be revealed on social media and all winners will receive an email to redeem their prizes.

The current schedule of tour stops is listed below and subject to change.

• Friday, February 5- Gardner-Webb
• Thursday, February 11- Radford and Campbell
• Thursday, February 18- Charleston Southern and High Point
• Friday, February 19- Hampton
• Sunday, February 21- Longwood
• Tuesday, February 23- UNC Asheville and USC Upstate
• Wednesday, February 24- Presbyterian and Winthrop

About Hercules Tires

Hercules Tires is widely recognized as the industry's premier value brand with a comprehensive selection of passenger, UHP, light truck, medium truck and specialty tires. Since 1952, independent tire dealers and distributors have trusted Hercules to deliver outstanding quality, exceptional support, and unsurpassed value.

Hercules is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Tire Distributors, Inc. American Tire Distributors is one of the largest independent suppliers of tires in the North American replacement tire market. The company offers an unsurpassed breadth and depth of inventory, frequent delivery and value-added services to approximately 80,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada.

About American Tire Distributors 

American Tire Distributors is one of the largest independent suppliers of tires to the replacement tire market. It operates more than 140 distribution centers, including 25 distribution centers in Canada, serving approximately 80,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada. The Company offers an unsurpassed breadth and depth of inventory, frequent delivery and value-added services to tire and automotive service customers. American Tire Distributors employs approximately 5,000 associates across its distribution center network, including approximately 800 associates in Canada.