Hankook Tire attracts Gen Z and Millennials to ‘Made in HANKOOK 2021’ event

- The event takes place in a trendy cultural space for the general public from October 20 to 26
- Opening speech on the first day live-streamed through Hankook Tire’s official YouTube channel
- Displays Hankook Tire’s design, future technologies and motorsports culture through various exhibitions

Seoul, Korea, October 22, 2021 – Global leading tire company Hankook Tire is holding ‘Made in HANKOOK 2021’ event until October 26 in a complex cultural space D8NE to display its passionate, fun and innovative DNA.

‘Made in HANKOOK 2021’ is one of a kind among the events Hankook Tire has hosted. It aims to leverage ‘HANKOOK’ brand more street present to the general public while creating a touchpoint with Generation Z and Millennials who are not yet familiar with tires. In particular, the event is coordinated in a way that Hankook Tire’s unique brand content is tangent to youth culture. The event began on October 20 and continues for a week.

The event is being held at Peaches D8NE, a rising landmark located in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, South Korea. The place is run by Peaches, a lifestyle brand based on the street culture involving automotive and fashion. Comprising diverse spaces such as a car-styling garage, car exhibition space, gallery, skateboard park, specialty shops, community lounge and café, the place is full of sensory entertainment.

The event features various content including an exhibit, film, merchandise and F&B that visitors can enjoy. In specific, objects are exhibited in line with each corresponding spatial concept in Peaches D8NE to portrait a tire as a design piece or an artwork instead of simply a rubber. Through the tour, visitors can glimpse into the sensory and compelling brand story that Hankook Tire created.

On October 20, a presentation speech marked the opening of the 7-day event. The speech conveyed Hankook Tire’s vision on future mobility including electronic vehicles, digital technologies, latest design innovations and collaboration with Peaches for promoting driving culture. The opening speech session was held with a small number of people attended following the latest COVID-19 social distancing guideline. However, it was live-streamed through Hankook Tire’s official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/hankooktirekorea1) so that anyone who wished to hear could stay tuned in live.

For following days, the event proceeds with the exhibition of concept tires Hankook Tire has invented. Hankook Tire has been conducting studies on future driving through its R&D projects ‘Design Innovation’ and ‘TNDL (The Next Driving Lab)’. The outcomes of those projects that embody the most innovative technologies can be found in D8NE’s lounge area.

Along with futuristic tires, collaboration items that represent a combination of Hankook’s design innovation and creativity are displayed. A concept tire and unique shoes made in collaboration with Vibram, an Italian company specialized in rubber outsole production, as well as a pair of shoes applied with Hankook Tire’s Kinergy 4S2 tread design in its outsole made with PROSPECS, a South Korean athletic shoe and sportswear brand, hint endless versatility of tires.

Using the garage area, Hankook Tire presents car tuning accessories that the company is introducing to Korea as an exclusive distributor. SONIC, a brand specialized in tuning and upgrades for high-end cars, also took part in the exhibition. This provides a sneak peek of Hankook Tire’s passion in motorsports and dedication to promoting driving culture, which are the foundation of the company’s continued sponsorship in motorsports competitions and teams.

In the meantime, in the gallery area, Hankook Tire puts retro-style fashion items and merchandise made in collaboration with Peaches for this event on sale. Additionally, tire-shaped donuts designed in collaboration with Knotted Donut are also available during the event.

Hankook Tire has been sharing the vision for future mobility and celebrating the outcomes of its future-oriented R&D with all employees involved through an in-house annual seminar called ‘Design Forum’ since 2004. This year, this internal event has been developed into a new type of event open to everyone in an attempt to enhance communication with the public.

“We are more than delighted to come up with this opportunity to convey our brand story to the public, especially car enthusiasts, through such a visually and emotionally immersive event. We hope the Made in HANKOOK 2021 offers a new and unique experience for everyone who visits,” says Sooil Lee, President and CEO of Hankook Tire & Technology. He adds, “Hankook Tire is striving to be a first mover in the mobility industry with R&D capabilities and technological innovation, and also to capture Gen Z and Millennials’ attention as they are our important customers who shape the future.”

Meanwhile, Hankook Tire has also been working on strengthening its ties with Gen Z and Millennials through various activities such as launching eco-friendly shoes made with recycled tires, collaborating with Crazyracing Kartrider game and setting up a crowdfunding for special camping items. Furthermore, the company is enhancing capabilities for leading transition of the mobility industry and stepping forward as a first mover of the market by solidifying its own infrastructure such as high-end mobility distribution platform SONIC and racing motorsports team ATLASBX M.