Hankook Tire teams up with Lotte Wellfood to launch anti-drowsiness gum for summer drivers

Hankook Tire & Technology has partnered with Lotte Wellfood to launch a collaboration product aimed at long-distance drivers, combining messages about drowsy driving prevention and tire safety ahead of the summer vacation season and the chuseok holiday period.

Hankook Tire & Technology announced Tuesday it is releasing the "Hankook Tire X Lotte Joleum Beonjjeok Gum," an anti-drowsiness gum, in collaboration with Lotte Wellfood.

The product was conceived as part of Hankook Tire's ongoing Safety Campaign. While a tire company partnering with a gum brand may seem unusual, the collaboration aims to deliver a shared message about drowsy driving prevention and vehicle safety checks in an accessible way.

Summer brings a surge in long-distance driving, compounded by heat waves and localized heavy rain that increase driver fatigue and the burden of vehicle maintenance. Before highway trips in particular, checking tire pressure and tread wear is as important as staying alert behind the wheel.

Lotte's Joleum Beonjjeok Gum is a functional gum containing guarana extract powder and menthol. Beyond drivers, it has found a following among consumers who need a mental boost during work or study.

The collaboration product will go on sale at major marts and other offline stores nationwide from late July. The packaging incorporates Hankook Tire brand elements, and buyers will receive a tire discount coupon.

Customers who purchase the product will receive a 30% tire discount coupon redeemable at T-Station.com, the online shopping platform of T-Station, Hankook Tire's total automotive service chain. The promotion runs through Oct. 31.

To claim the coupon, customers scan a QR code inserted in the product packaging and enter a randomly generated number. Hankook Tire plans to use the mechanism to convert product purchases into demand for vehicle inspections and tire replacements.

Hankook Tire has been running consumer-facing safety campaigns since last year. At professional baseball stadiums, it operated a "Tire Boy" service offering free tire pressure and tread checks, and at major beaches it held a hands-on pop-up called "Hankook Tire Tube Shop" linking inflatable tubes with tire safety messaging.

The Lotte Wellfood collaboration follows the same approach — raising awareness of driver safety and tire maintenance through an everyday product like gum, while expanding brand touchpoints ahead of the long-distance driving season.

Hankook Tire said it will continue its Safety Campaign across a range of consumer touchpoints to help spread a culture of safe driving.