Funkmaster Flex Inks Deal With Cooper Tire, Custom SUV On The Way

Cooper Tire has entered into a year-long endorsement partnership with custom car show king Funkmaster Flex. The popular DJ will appear in a new print advertisement for the Cooper Zeon XST tire targeting the popular urban sport truck market. He will also make in-person appearances to support the Cooper Tire brand. Funkmaster Flex is a […]

Cooper Tire has entered

into a year-long endorsement partnership with custom car show king Funkmaster

Flex.

The popular DJ

will appear in a new print advertisement for the Cooper Zeon XST tire targeting

the popular urban sport truck market. He will also make in-person appearances

to support the Cooper Tire brand.

Funkmaster Flex

is a former spokesperson for Cooper’s rival, BF Goodrich.

"I

used to be with BF Goodrich and I left because I wanted to be with a company

that kind of had my vision," Flex told AllHipHop.com. "Cooper Tire

has my vision in terms of not just being young, they’re ready to step into the

youth market, but they are still going to hold on to their older demographics

that have loved their brand for so many years."

Cooper Tire will

provide Flex with Cooper Zeon high performance tires to customize the look and

performance of celebrity vehicles and custom projects featured on his television

programs and for use on his own personal vehicles.

In addition, the

Cooper Tire interactive mobile tour, an experiential marketing exhibit targeted

toward performance-minded audiences, will appear at several of Flex’s custom

car show events, including Edison, N.J., (June 24), Hartford, Conn. (July 22)

and Ocean City, Md.

Dubbed the "evangelist"

of Hip-Hop’s urban car culture, Flex created the successful Funkmaster Flex

Custom Car & Bike Show, which is entering its fifth year touring the United

States.

Flex also hosts

a radio show on Hot 97 FM in New York City, as well as two television shows,

Spike TV’s Ride with Funkmaster Flex and ESPN 2’s All Muscle with

Funkmaster Flex.

"My

new season [of the latter] starts in June. I already got 50 Cent, Fabolous,

Manny Ramirez [Boston Red Sox], Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jason Giambi [New York Yankees],

Danica Patrick, who’s a huge indie car driver."

Flex also has endorsement

deals with Turtlewax, JL Audio, YahooAutos.com and Ford Motor Company.

In related news,

Ford Motor Company is planning to release 500 limited edition Funkmaster Flex

Expeditions, which will be available in 2007.

The SUV will feature

customized rims, paint, interior, suspension and more.