Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) supported last year’s Ballon d’Or™ award ceremony as an official sponsor. The Ballon d’Or™ is the most coveted recognition of outstanding performance and exceptional talent of male and female soccer players around the world. The 68th award ceremony took place in the Théâtre du Châtelet in the heart of the French capital, Paris, on October 28, 2024.
The terms of the partnership included both parties being able to use the other’s brand logos and the Hankook brand logo being prominently placed along the red carpet and in the press areas. In addition, digital activities on UEFA and Hankook channels are intended to further strengthen supporters’ brand loyalty. Since 2024, the Ballon d’Or™ has been jointly awarded by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, owner of the media companies France Soccer and L‘Équipe. The Ballon d’Or™ has been awarded annually since 1956.
“Our involvement as an official sponsor of the prestigious Ballon d’Or™ represents the logical continuation of many years of fruitful cooperation with UEFA,” said Sanghoon Lee, President and COO of Hankook Tire Europe. “The partnership embodies the ‘perfect match’ in our international sponsoring strategy, where positioning Hankook as a premium brand always takes center stage. Soccer remains the most popular sport by far in Europe and connects millions of people. We are proud to be a part of this.”
Hankook Tire’s sponsoring strategy demonstrated a clear approach based on significant partnerships on a global, European and national scale. The focus was on first-class platforms with a wide reach like the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the UEFA Europa League & Conference League and the Borussia Dortmund soccer club. The goal of these partnerships is to create a strong presence worldwide and, at the same time, appeal to various target markets. The partnership with UEFA provided a way of actively placing the brand in the most important European markets.
In addition to voting on the best male and female soccer players, the Ballon d’Or™ award honours soccer achievements in seven other categories. Two new awards this year are the Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s soccer, which acknowledges the valuable contribution that coaches make to success on the pitch.
