Hankook Tire announces contract extension with UEFA for a further three years

For the third consecutive time, global leading tire company Hankook Tire is extending its successful commitment to the UEFA Europa League by a further three years until the 2023/24 season. The company has been an Official Partner of UEFA since 2012. Under the current contract extension, the sponsorship also includes the new UEFA Europa Conference League competition, which will be debuting in the 2021/22 season. In addition to familiar features such as the presentation of the "Player of the Week", Hankook will receive further activation rights to expand its brand presence, through new initiatives including patron of the "Referee Mascots" at matches and the "Team of the Week" digital activation.

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, August 30, 2021 - Following the 21/22 UEFA Europa League group stage draw, premium tire maker Hankook Tire and UEFA jointly announce the extension of their partnership for a further three years, with top management representatives of both companies attending the draw which included the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League draw. The announcement also confirms Hankook’s sponsorship of the UEFA Europa Conference League via its Laufenn brand. Football fans and Hankook customers will be able to watch 64 teams compete in a total of 282 matches across both competitions each season. Over the years, the global exposure of the Hankook brand around many European football stadiums has been significantly enhanced by incorporating LED perimeter advertising, along with static advertising boards. The partnership with UEFA is also characterized by other unique sponsorship initiatives, such as the collaboration with David Garrett in 2020 which reinterpreted the official anthem of the UEFA Europa League. The result was the stunning "Symphony of Silence" music video, which expressed the feelings that empty stadiums evoked among football fans throughout the sports world during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Football is one of the most popular sports in the world and plays a central role in European countries,” emphasized Sanghoon Lee, President of Hankook Tire Europe at the contract signing ceremony. “Both the sponsorship of the competitions and the partnership with UEFA are important elements of Hankook's sports marketing strategy in the region. In addition to our other activities, I am particularly pleased that from the new season onwards we will be able to offer children from all over Europe an unforgettable experience as Referee Mascots. Moreover, introducing our second brand, Laufenn to UEFA club competitions will increase our relationship with UEFA to further enhance Hankook’s brand awareness and acceptance in the European market through our sponsorship of both competitions."

Another exciting initiative organized by Hankook is the "Back Stadium Tour", which provides customers and fans with an exclusive behind the scenes stadium experience on matchdays. Hankook is also continuing its "Man of the Match" presentations after both finals. This sponsorship agreement will continue to be an integral part of Hankook’s partnership with UEFA, which will be further supplemented by new promotions.

“On the occasion of the group stage draw today, I am absolutely delighted to see our long-standing and forward-thinking partner continue to support the UEFA Europa League and extend its sponsorship to the UEFA Europa Conference League” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director of UEFA Events S.A. “Hankook has been a valued partner of UEFA’s since 2012, showcasing some of the best activations and sponsored content in support of the UEFA Europa League. We are looking forward to collaborating further with Hankook in order to develop new ideas for the upcoming UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League seasons.”

Hankook is an original equipment partner of the leading European premium vehicle manufacturers and is firmly established in the automotive industry with its products. In addition to vehicles with classic drive concepts, this also applies to the rapidly growing field of electric mobility. Where the tire maker is one of the leading suppliers of efficient tires for electrically powered vehicles.

Hankook relies on a multi-level concept consisting of local, regional, and worldwide sponsoring commitments for its marketing strategy and communication. This means individual markets can increase customer loyalty as well as the visibility of the brand locally. In football, for example, Hankook has also been active globally as a sponsor of record Champions League winner Real Madrid C.F. since 2016 and on a local level, German football team Borussia Dortmund is sponsored as well as the Czech national team.