Kumho Tire unveiled ‘Thory’, a character symbolizing its electric vehicle tire brand ‘EnnoV’, to the public in March, along with the launch of the new tire line.
Thory is born from the world of ‘the god of tires’, a blend of ‘Thoro’ and ‘Roro’, and represents the electric vehicle tire. Unlike Thoro, who has tire ears, the initial character of Thory (1 month old) features mint-colored wings with an electric symbol in its eyes, reflecting the unique color palette of the EnnoV brand.
Thory is set to feature in episodes where it grows over the course of 1 month, 1 year, and 5 years, focusing on Kumho Tire’s development and progress in electric vehicle tire technology. Thory will not only be seen in Kumho Tire advertisements but also on the company’s official YouTube, Instagram, and at offline events.
This strategy allows Kumho Tire to foster a sense of closeness with customers while emphasizing the functionality and safety of its tires, naturally branding the company as ‘Kumho Tire’. The character, along with various content, can be found on Kumho Tire’s YouTube (Eksta TV) and Instagram.
On the ‘Eksta TV’ channel, interactive challenges such as ‘Thoroloro Challenge’ are carried out, where Thory engages with consumers by completing various missions. As a result, the channel surpassed 100,000 subscribers in 2021, earning a Silver Play Button, and currently holds the highest number of subscribers (180,000 as of May 2024) among global tire companies. Additionally, since last year, Kumho Tire has been strengthening communication with the MZ generation by planning a serialized ‘Tire God Thoro’ webtoon (account: thoro.roro), enhancing empathy with readers based on the theme of tires.
Meanwhile, Kumho Tire is leveraging Thory’s friendly brand image to conduct public service campaigns related to ‘safety’. They are currently conducting ads for emergency evacuation guidance with CGV, South Korea’s leading multiplex cinema, and running etiquette ads for Screen Golf Zone for the 4th consecutive year to promote the sport.
By Jang In-seong daedusj@autodiary.kr