BFGoodrich® Tires Celebrates the Thrill of GO with an Online Community for Auto Enthusiasts

BFGoodrich Tires® announced today an action-packed online gathering place for those who live for the thrill of the drive. The place is NationofGO.com, and its purpose is to provide an online community where people with a passion for driving can celebrate and share what they love to do best. While there are many different types of automotive enthusiasts, some who live for the trail, others who live for the road, all are driven by the same thing - a passion for GO. Created for enthusiasts by enthusiasts, BFGoodrich Tires took all of the action of auto and housed it all under one roof at NationofGO.com.

After all, GO is a lifestyle, a thirst, an addiction - it's a passion for getting behind the wheel. The Nation of GO allows members to create driver profiles; map roads, tracks and trails; upload photos and videos; post blogs and events; start discussions on forums and follow pro drivers. It's a community that enables members to connect with others who share a common passion.

"BFGoodrich is all about GO, so that's how we've geared the site," said Tom Jupena, brand communications manager for BFGoodrich Tires. "The Nation of GO is a social network offering innovative tools to help people ÔDrive. Connect. Share.' It's about doing what you love, and sharing your experiences through pictures, maps, videos and conversation. Among other innovations, the Nation of GO combines Google Maps with our own mobile mapping application to make plotting your favorite roads and trails easy. We haven't built a site for everyone. We've built a site for everyone who shares this passion."

Along with the launch of NationofGO.com, BFGoodrich Tires has embarked on a social networking initiative with the Nation of GO Tour. The tour will travel the country to drive awareness, and along the way, post pictures and videos and share stories about the journey. Nation of GO members can follow the tour online by visiting the Nation of GO site, the Nation of GO Tour blog (blog.nationofgo.com), Twitter (twitter.com/nationofgo) and YouTube (youtube.com/nationofgo).

"It's the essence of the Nation of GO mission," says Jupena. "We're no longer strictly talking to the consumer in a traditional marketing sense. We're encouraging conversations and providing a fun place for them to happen."

Features of NationofGO.com include:

Build a Profile to Show How You GO

each member has the ability to share their unique take on GO. They can upload photos and videos, tell the community a bit about themselves and their driving interests, create blog posts and share insights on events. Members can also follow other drivers and groups who share their interests. These groups include BFG-sponsored teams and drivers such as drift champion Samuel Hubinette, 2009 King of the Hammers winner, Jason Scherer and 2009 King of the Hammers runner-up, Casey Currie.

Create and Share Drives to Show Where You GO

One of the top features of the site is the ability to recreate a drive. Users can plot drive points along the map by drawing with their mouse, inputting GPX or USR files, latitude and longitude coordinates, or uploading them straight from a mobile device. Once a drive is created, photos and videos can be placed to specific points along the drive, as well as custom notes to inform other users of suggestions or tips about the drive. This tool allows enthusiasts to track driving experiences as well as provide other drivers with the ability to discover new ones. It's the ultimate way to find and share your GO.

Web Forums to Talk About GO

In the Nation of GO web forums, enthusiasts can discuss a range of topics from favorite racing series to the best equipment for Baja or Thunderhill. They can explore tips from friends and professional drivers, connect with members of your local community and discuss the latest in the world of automotive racing.

Nation of GO Mobile Application to Take GO Where You GO

The free Nation of GO mobile application allows members to track a drive and take geotagged photos that can be uploaded in real time with just the click of a button, creating a seamless connection between the real world and the community. The application is available for download on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS and the BlackBerry® Curve 8310 and 8330.

The Martin Agency, a Virginia-based advertising agency, led the creative and assembled a dream team for the development of the website. Odopod, a digital agency, led the development of the online community. everyTrail was responsible for the mapping services and iPhone application, while Pluck handled the community services.