Tuesday, February 1, 2005

Pistons' Hamilton heads up tire ad

Goodyear pays Detroit star to wear his hairstyle like its automobile tread.

By Scott Soshnick / Bloomberg News

Bloomberg News Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton sports his hair styled after Goodyear's TripleTred. Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

Some people model their hairstyles after celebrities. Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton takes his cue from tires.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., North America's largest tire maker, paid Hamilton to wear his hair in the style of the tread pattern of the company's Assurance TripleTred product.

Hamilton, who helped the Pistons win last season's National Basketball Association championship, wore the hairstyle two days ago against the New York Knicks in Detroit and plans to keep it for about a week, company spokesman Ed Markey said Monday.

Neither Markey nor Josh Nochimson, Hamilton's business manager, would say how much Hamilton was paid. The player also received free tires, Markey said.

Nochimson said that he hopes the publicity stunt leads to an endorsement with the Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear. "I'd love to do something national," he said.

Hamilton even displayed the hairstyle to U.S. President George W. Bush, who hosted the Pistons at the White House on Monday in honor of their championship.

Goodyear said it picked the 26-year-old Hamilton for a variety of reasons, including his team's success and location in Detroit, which is the home to General Motors Corp. and other U.S. automakers.