Uniroyal Names Erwin-Penland Agency of Record

GREENVILLE, S.C., Nov. 20 -- The Uniroyal tire brand announced today that it has awarded its advertising account to Greenville- based Erwin-Penland Inc. The announcement comes after an agency review process that included several candidates. Uniroyal placed its brand account in review earlier this year after refocusing its brand marketing strategy.

The Uniroyal brand team surprised the agency and delivered the good news in person at Erwin-Penland's offices.

``We're looking forward to working with Erwin-Penland and tapping into the expertise they bring to the table,'' said Tim Jamison, brand marketing manager. ``All of the finalists were excellent candidates. However, Erwin-Penland captivated the brand's interests and our strategic direction for the future.''

``This promises to be a great partnership,'' added Joe Erwin, president, Erwin-Penland. ``Uniroyal is a strong brand with a strong history that's facing new challenges and opportunities in the marketplace. It's a great opportunity for us to apply our strategic branding and creative skills on a highly visible, universally recognized brand.''

Erwin-Penland will assume account responsibilities for the Uniroyal brand immediately.

Founded in 1985, Erwin-Penland Inc. (www.erwinpenland.com) is a Greenville-based, full-service marketing communications firm that provides advertising, conference and event planning, interactive marketing, public relations and research services to regional and national clients. The agency has more than $80 million in annual capitalized billings and 84 employees. Erwin-Penland is one of only five South Carolina members of the prestigious American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), which selects fewer than 10 percent of all American agencies to become members.

The Uniroyal brand has a long and proud history in the tire business. It began in 1892 as the United States Rubber Company, changing its name to Uniroyal in 1964. Today, the Uniroyal brand markets a wide variety of high- quality, high-mileage tires for many of America's most popular family vehicles and light trucks.