“This is not football, It’s La Liga”
Dubai 24 Hour Race, A Dash to the Finish
Every August, some soccer fans experience jetlag even if they haven’t travelled at all. At this time, soccer fans worldwide stay up all night to watch live broadcasts of European soccer league games. This is when the three most popular soccer leagues (Premier League of England, Serie A of Italy, and La Liga of Spain) start their seasons. La Liga, officially known as the Primera Division, is the first of four leagues in the Spanish soccer league method. There are 20 clubs in the Primera Division, and each team plays 38 games under a home-and-away method. A win earns a team 3 points, a draw 1 point, and a loss 0 points, and the club who gets the most points at the end of the season wins the league. After the regular season concludes, the bottom three teams are relegated to the second league, La Liga 2, and the top three teams from La Liga 2 are promoted to the Primera Division.
La Liga is different
La Liga started with 10 clubs in 1929 and by 1997 had increased to 20 clubs. The most well-known clubs in La Liga are FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. As of 2010 season, Real Madrid has won the most titles (31), followed by FC Barcelona (20), Atlético Madrid (9), and Athletic Bilbao (8).
The citizens of Spain, a football powerhouse, are so enthusiastic about football that labelling the entire population football fans may not be an overstatement. In particular, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, shaped by their decades-old arch rivalry, have maintained an incredible number of fans in their supporters clubs. The rivalry that exists between Barça (the abbreviation for the Barcelona club) and Real has a long history throughout European football that reaches far beyond the Spanish league. When these two teams play each other, both cities are buzzing with excitement. The game is also distinctively called "El Clasico."
La Liga, being one of the three major soccer leagues in the world, is also known for its dynamic and boisterous style of football. Currently, 90 broadcasting companies across 182 countries worldwide show La Liga matches to more than 14 million viewers. In particular, a typical El Clasico match are watched by over 500 million people from over 200 countries. As famous and popular as these matches are, the opportunity of becoming sponsors of these two clubs is only given to a select few. Following a similar pattern to selecting a club to sponsor, such iconic clubs must carefully examine any potential sponsors based on their preference for a vision, image and suitable brand.
Real Madrid, a club with heritage,
approved by the royal family
Real Madrid, one of the most recognized European football clubs in the world has won the most La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League thirteen times. Founded in 1902 as Madrid FC, the club changed its name to Real Madrid FC in 1920. It was King Alfonso XIII of Spain, famous for being a huge football fan, who bestowed the name ‘Real’ to the club which means ‘royal’, along with the royal crown which remains the emblem of Real Madrid to this very day. This is why Real Madrid, the name given to them by a King, is still called the "King's soccer team."
The fame Real Madrid gained and what we know of them today began in the 2000s when it recruited a dazzling array of brilliant star players. When President Florentino Perez took control of the club, he recruited the world's top players with astronomical; superstars like Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, and David Beckham all joined the club. The tactic of gathering the best and the most expensive players in the world, was named the Galácticos (galactic) policy which later proved that bold investments lead to remarkable results and profits. When these players were at the club, Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League in 2001 and La Liga in the 2002–03 season. Football fans regard these Real Madrid games as the greatest of all time, as they watched the spectacular skills of star players in their prime. In bringing the brightest and best players to one iconic club, Real Madrid displayed their power to succeed and dominate football with an advantage no other team could match.
Still, fans consider this period to be the most glorious heyday of European football because Real Madrid presented their fans with spectacular matches showcasing the fantastic skills, teamwork, speed, and strategy of their star players in every moment they graced the Bernabeu.
The intersection of Hankook Tire and Real Madrid
What is the connection between tires and soccer? At first, the connection might not be that obvious. Of course, leagues like La Liga, with high levels of viewership and abundant supporters, are fabulous marketing jewels for any company. Global companies sponsor soccer clubs to advance their portfolio and boost their advertising agenda. Hankook however, operates on a different level and emboldened by the close relationship we have formed with Real Madrid since 2016, Hankook has extended its marketing partnership with the club until the end of the 22/23 season.
Real Madrid, an attractive club with a "play to win" attitude, has a long history, rich heritage, and premium brand image. Beyond the history and its legion of dedicated fans, the club's innovative strategies and passion for delivering the best performance to please their fans (consumers) coincide with Hankook Tire's corporate goals. For football fans across Europe, the club's games provided a platform to learn about the global presence of Hankook Tire.
When the driver has achieved optimal levels of safety, comfort, and a balanced driving experience in harmony, that is the precise moment when the car has become a vital tool for society. Ensuring cars are the safest they can be, and feeling unified with the tires is what Hankook can give to its fans.
This vision is why Hankook Tire has entered into the “Be One With It” sponsorship with Real Madrid who support a unified passion for every unforgettable match to the delight of their supporters. “Be One With It!” Being one with football, being one with the team, being one with the passion and the fans, these are the reason why Real Madrid and Hankook have stayed strong, Together As One.
