Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
Hankook Tire brings safety campaign to beach with experiential pop-up
A promotional image from Hankook Tire's Tire Boy safety campaign / Courtesy of Hankook Tire
By Lee Min-hyung
Hankook Tire is expanding its customer engagement efforts beyond traditional retail channels, launching an interactive safety campaign at a beach in Gangwon Province.
The Tire Boy campaign, held at Mangsang Beach, offers complimentary tire pressure and tread wear inspections along with hands-on brand experiences. The event runs for six days, from Friday to Sunday, and again from Aug. 7 to 9.
The campaign is designed to promote safe driving during Korea's peak summer vacation season, when millions of motorists hit the road. By bringing tire safety services directly to one of the country's busiest beaches, Hankook Tire aims to encourage drivers to pay greater attention to tire maintenance even while on holiday.
The initiative has become one of Hankook Tire's signature safety campaigns. After seeing significant participation at professional baseball stadiums in cities like Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Busan and Daegu earlier this year, the company is expanding the program to beach destinations to reach more consumers during the summer travel season.
Participants using the Tire Boy service will receive discount coupons for tire purchases that can be redeemed at T’Station, Hankook Tire’s nationwide tire and automotive service network, as well as through the firm’s online shopping platform.
Along with the inspection service, Hankook Tire will debut its "Tube Shop," an experiential pop-up combining road safety education with the opportunity to rent inner tubes for floating on the ocean waves.
The concept reflects Hankook & Company Chairman Cho Hyun-bum’s branding philosophy of strengthening customer engagement through immersive experiences rather than conventional marketing, so consumers can interact with the company's products and values in a memorable way. Hankook & Company is the holding firm of Hankook Tire.
Visitors can participate in a variety of tire-themed activities, including a game that challenges participants to identify the correct tire pressure. Prizes include tire replacement vouchers and safety kits containing swimming tubes and tire tread-depth gauge keychains.
“The beach event is part of our safety campaign through which we seek to raise awareness of proper tire maintenance and foster a stronger culture of safe driving,” an official from the tire maker said.
“Following successful campaigns at baseball stadiums, the company plans to continue expanding customer touchpoints across Korea, including beaches and campgrounds, combining tire safety services with experiential marketing initiatives.”