WAYNE, N.J. (Aug. 18, 2010) — A Los Angeles native has snagged quite a catch — a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro — in Hankook Tire America Corp.'s baseball-themed Great Catch giveaway.
Soo Il Lee, president of Hankook Tire, presented Debra Jackson, a retired 28-year machine operator, with the keys to a silver Camaro Aug. 17 at southern California's landmark restaurant, Mel's Drive-In on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, which was made famous in the “American Graffiti” flick and appearances in countless TV shows. Ms. Jackson's family and friends and Hankook representatives attended the event.
“Our Great Catch Giveaway program was definitely a success, but being able to present Ms. Jackson with a new Camaro is a home run for us,” said Bill Bainbridge, Hankook's director of brand communications, in a press release. “The rebates and giveaway were an added incentive to entice buyers….”
When Ms. Jackson received a phone call from Mr. Bainbridge, she thought it was a hoax, according to Hankook. She recalled asking repeatedly if the whole thing was a joke, but once she was reassured she had won the Camaro, she chalked it up as “a gift from God.” Her submission was chosen through a random drawing of more than 39,000 entries.
Ms. Jackson, who enters contests and sweepstakes daily, told Hankook officials this was the biggest prize she has ever won. She personally picked out the silver color for the car, which Hankook purchased from Penske Chevrolet of Cerritos, Calif., and outfitted with a set of its Ventus V12 evo high-performance tires.
Mr. Lee said the Great Catch promotion “worked out as a great way to build awareness for Hankook and expose our brand to a larger audience.”
Hankook launched the summer sweepstakes last spring with a mail-in rebate program available to consumers who purchased four select tires of any size between April 1 and June 30 from an authorized Hankook retailer. The tires included in the program were the Ventus V12 evo, the Ventus V4 ES and the Optimo H727.