Cooper Tire Increases 2004 Advertising Expenditures, Launches New Relationship-Based Campaign

FINDLAY, Ohio--March 18, 2004--Cooper Tire & Rubber Company today unveiled a multi-million dollar advertising campaign aimed at reinforcing the Cooper Tire brand's strong performance and value. The campaign adds to Cooper's ongoing tag line, "Don't Give Up a Thing," with an additional message, "Get Everything You Want." The ads feature humorous vignettes of couples working through relationship issues resulting from disappointments with their hastily chosen tires.

By focusing on the emotional considerations of buying tires, rather than product features, the advertisements help claim the brand's stake in becoming the most sought after replacement tire in the rapidly growing ultra high performance product market as well as a solid choice for family car and light truck tire buyers.

"The revolutionary thing about this campaign is that it recognizes that the average consumer only thinks about tires when they need new ones," said Pat Brown, vice president of advertising and communications at Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. "But these ads tell consumers that tires should be more than a grudge purchase. It's a decision you live with for a long time; they say something about you," Brown said.

Three, 30-second television, and seven print ads reinforce Cooper Tire's ongoing tagline, "Don't Give Up a Thing," by telling savvy consumers that a better performing tire at a more affordable value is within reach.

"Consumers want a product that describes them and the role that product plays in their lives," said John Stertz, chief creative officer at Columbus, Ohio-based Fahlgren, Inc., Cooper Tire's advertising agency. "The new campaign brands the Cooper consumer as thoughtful and smart for choosing a tire that matches other options in performance while exceeding them in value," Stertz said.

Strategic media buying in niche markets, such as sports television and consumer magazines, allow Cooper Tires to significantly increase reach and frequency of the "Don't Give Up a Thing" message with key consumers of high performance and SUV and light truck products.

Cooper Tire and Fahlgren Inc. developed an integrated media buy with ABC and ESPN networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN The Magazine, and ESPN.com, which included Cooper Tire as a presenting sponsor of ESPN's Thursday night college football programming. From April to November 2004, print advertisements will run in a selection of trade and consumer publications, including Time, People, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Automobile.

The television advertisements, directed by Russ Lamoureux of Hungry Man, Inc. in Los Angeles, Calif., will make their debut the week of April 5 and are set to run on 10 of the top cable networks in 2004.

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of products for the global automotive industry. Products include automotive, motorcycle and truck tires, inner tubes, tread rubber and equipment, as well as sealing, trim, NVH control systems and fluid handling systems. Cooper has more than 20,000 employees and 51 manufacturing facilities in 13 countries. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.coopertireandrubber.com.

About Fahlgren, Inc.

Fahlgren, Inc., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the nation's top 100 communications agencies with more than $188 million in 2002 billings. The company employs 138 communications professionals in five states. Fahlgren Inc. includes three business units: Fahlgren (Advertising, Digital Communications and Direct Marketing), Fahlgren Mortine (Public Relations and Investor Relations), and Fahlgren Max (Retail Sales Maximization). Champion Sports Group, a Charlotte-based sports-marketing company, is a subsidiary of Fahlgren Inc. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.fahlgren.com.