Dunlop Tyre Europe signs a three-year Premium Partnership with the Erste Bank Open in Vienna

Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH will have its own stand at this year’s Erste Bank Open in Vienna. The tournament takes place at the Wiener Stadthalle from 24 October to 1 November. Dunlop Tyre Europe is a Premium Partner of the tournament for a three-year period from 2026 to 2028, with an option to extend the partnership, and is the exclusive partner in the tyre category. DUNLOP Sports serves as the tournament’s Official Ball Partner. For Dunlop Tyre Europe, the event provides the ideal platform to communicate the ONE DUNLOP message: the trademark rights for DUNLOP tyres in Europe, North America and Oceania are once again united under the umbrella of Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI). The stand, located in the fan zone in the foyer of the Wiener Stadthalle, covers 25 square metres.

Stronger together: DUNLOP Tyres and DUNLOP Sports

This year, Dunlop Tyre Europe and DUNLOP Sports have already successfully collaborated at several B2B events, including THE TIRE COLOGNE. At the Mondial de l’Auto consumer motor show in Paris, held from 12 to 18 October, the DUNLOP brand appeared alongside colleagues from DUNLOP Sports, showcasing tyres, motorsport heritage, and tennis, padel and squash racquets across a 105-square-metre exhibition space.

Vienna now marks the first time both divisions will appear together at a sporting tournament: Dunlop Tyre Europe as a Premium Partner and DUNLOP Sports as the Official Ball Partner.

Visible on and off the court

As a Premium Partner, Dunlop Tyre Europe enjoys a strong presence throughout the tournament. Television exposure includes Micro Wings, LED side banners, Close Calls, and the “New Balls Please” activation. In addition, the company will be featured during the ceremonial coin toss at the Wiener Stadthalle, in the tournament magazine, within the fan zone, and through the digital content format “Daily Highlights presented by Dunlop”.

Customers and business partners will also benefit from a range of hospitality packages at both the Wiener Stadthalle and the Marx Halle, as well as invitations to side events such as the Pro-Am tournament and the official press conference.

Competition and photo activation at the stand

Visitors to the DUNLOP stand can take part in an engaging competition by estimating how many tennis balls are contained within a DUNLOP racing tyre.

Entries can be submitted via an iPad and a dedicated digital landing page at the stand, while newsletter registration remains optional. Participants have the chance to win a set of tyres. Visitors can also take a souvenir photograph using a DUNLOP-branded frame and download the image directly to their smartphone via QR code.

Dennis Wilstermann, Marketing Manager at Dunlop Tyre Europe, said: “Through our Premium Partnership with the Erste Bank Open and with our colleagues from DUNLOP Sports serving as the tournament’s Official Ball Partner, we are appearing together at a sporting event for the first time, following successful collaborations in the B2B sector and at the Paris motor show. The dynamic environment of professional tennis and the world-class performances regularly seen on court provide the ideal stage for combining activation activities for DUNLOP Tyres and DUNLOP Sports. We work closely with DUNLOP Sports and our parent company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan, to unlock the full potential of the global ONE DUNLOP strategy.”

A shared history

The DUNLOP brand and Sumitomo Rubber Industries share a long heritage dating back to 1909, when Dunlop Far East was established in Kobe, Japan, laying the foundations for today’s company.

For a period, the trademark rights for passenger car tyres in several markets, including much of Europe, were held by a partner organisation. Following the reacquisition of these rights in 2025 and the launch of Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH at the beginning of 2026, the brand is once again fully united under the SRI umbrella.

The ambition is clear: to restore DUNLOP to its rightful place among the world’s leading and most innovative tyre manufacturers.