Hankook Tire brings free tire checks, fan games to Busan baseball stadium

Hankook Tire & Technology announced Thursday that it will run "Tire Boy" and "Strike Zone" pop-up events at the parking lot and outdoor plaza of Busan Sajik Sports Complex from Friday through Sunday.

Tire Boy is a customer engagement service inspired by the beer-vendor concept common at baseball stadiums. Staff will check tire pressure and tread wear for fans who drive to the stadium and offer free air-pressure top-ups. The company said the initiative is designed to raise awareness of tire safety and promote a culture of safe driving.

Hankook Tire has been rolling out the Tire Boy campaign at major ballparks across the country — visiting Daegu and Daejeon last year and Changwon in May — with Busan Sajik Sports Complex the latest stop. The company plans to return to Daegu Samsung Lions Park in July to offer the service to fans there.

Visitors who take part in the event will also receive discount coupons for tire purchases, redeemable at T'Station automotive service stores in the Busan area and on the T'Station online shopping mall.

The Strike Zone experiential program will run alongside Tire Boy, featuring two activities: "Tire Strike," in which participants roll a tire to knock down bowling pins, and "Tire Ring Toss," where players throw a tire tube onto a pole. Prizes include portable fans, paper sun visors and tire discount vouchers.

The company will also hold a giveaway of Lotte Giants home and away uniforms for customers who follow the official Hankook Tire and T'Station Instagram accounts and post with a designated hashtag.

Hankook Tire has been expanding its customer touchpoints through similar activations — including a second season of its "Hankook Tire Tube Shop" at Surfybeach in Yangyang, Gangwon Province last year, where Tire Boy also made an appearance. The company said it continues to pursue experiential marketing tied to sports content, including a main sponsorship of the Doosan Bears, as part of its effort to strengthen the premium brand leadership of its global unified brand, Hankook.

Hankook Tire is South Korea's first tire-dedicated company. It currently sells tires in more than 160 countries through four global regional headquarters, more than 30 overseas offices, eight production facilities and five R&D centers.