Hankook Tire Unveils Massive Billboard in Heart of Times Square

WAYNE, N.J., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Hankook Tire, the world's fastest growing tire company, has unveiled a giant tire-shaped building wrap that stretches across the New York Marriott Marquis hotel in the vibrant center of the world-famous Times Square bow-tie.

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As the most visited tourist destination in the world, Times Square attracts a diverse range of more than 35 million people each year. Though it comprises only 0.1 percent of New York City's land area, Times Square draws more than 500,000 visitors daily, making it an iconic advertising location. Hankook Tire recognizes this and saw a perfect opportunity to reach millions of consumers in a unique and dynamic way.

"This is another example of our commitment to raise the premium profile of Hankook Tire brand in North America," said Soo Il Lee, president of Hankook Tire America Corp. "As the quality and performance of Hankook tires continues to be the foundation of our sales success, we must intensify our effort to attract even more new consumers to consider Hankook Tire brand. We see this as a unique opportunity to do just that. This billboard will generate millions of brand impressions in a short period of time and associates Hankook Tire with some of the most popular consumer brands in the world."

By placing this billboard in the heart of Times Square, Hankook Tire is positioning itself among the world's leading consumer brands, including Samsung, Kodak, LG, Sony and Toshiba. The brightly lit intersection is a signature place for marquee brands to establish their presence. Some advertisers, such as Coca-Cola, have been in this billboard capital since the 1930s.

The massive Hankook Tire billboard wrap is on the New York Marriott Marquis hotel on Broadway between 45th Street and 46th Street. The 31-by-98-foot image is on the front of the building, replicating the tread of Hankook Tire's highly acclaimed ultra-high performance tire – the Ventus V12 evo.

This dynamic billboard promotion is yet another demonstration of Hankook Tire's innovative approach to reaching American consumers. Recently the brand launched the second of its successful baseball-themed rebate programs in which consumers who purchase four select tires of any size from an authorized dealer through Nov. 30 of this year are eligible for a mail-in rebate up to $60. This 'Great Hit' promotion also offers consumers the opportunity to register to win a 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 through a random drawing, no purchase necessary. Information about both the 'Great Hit' Mail-In Rebate and car Giveaway can be found online at the Hankook Tire America website: www.hankooktireusa.com/greathit.

Hankook Tire provides original equipment tires for many vehicle makes and models sold in the U.S. including Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen. In 2009, the company posted a North America sales increase of 8 percent to a record $840-plus million, including unit sales gains in the ultra-high performance and touring passenger categories, along with light truck and heavy duty truck tire categories. In 2010, the sales growth trend continues as the company reported first half sales were up 21 percent over the same six month period last year.

About Hankook Tire America Corp.

Headquartered in Wayne, N.J., Hankook Tire America Corp. is a technology-focused, market-driven company that markets and distributes a complete line of high performance and ultra-high performance passenger tires, light truck, SUV tires, as well as medium truck and bus tires to more than 400 independent dealers through 3000+ retail sales locations in the United States and Canada.

For more information, please visit the Hankook website at www.hankooktireusa.com.

SOURCE Hankook Tire