If there is one televised event in the U.S. that attracts record audiences, it is the Super Bowl. So it comes to no surprise that companies with an aggressive advertising campaign deem it worthy to pay a lot of cash (as much as US$3.0 million in 2011 and $3.5 million in 2012) for some air time during the game.
So far, Hyundai has followed a simple strategy when it came to its Super Bowl commercials: see what ads it has for upcoming models and debut them during the game.
But now, the Korean automaker, which has made quite an impact on the U.S. market with its new models, has decided to change its game: it wants to make commercials that are tailor-made for the Super Bowl.
At least that’s what Steve Shannon, Hyundai Motor America vice president of marketing, told Advertising Age: “We’re making Super Bowl ads. We need to get that headset on. The bar is high.”
According to Shannon, Hyundai wants to make “an emotional connection” with consumers instead of focusing on practical features that have so far been the company’s center of attention.
To that end, even though it’s still October, Hyundai has already purchased a 60-second commercial right before the kickoff as well as two spots during the NBC February 5 broadcast of Super Bowl XL VI.
Two years ago, the Korean manufacturer’s Super Bowl commercial that guaranteed buyers they could return a car with no other consequence if they lost their jobs, made quite an impression.
Hyundai’s 2012 Super Bowl commercials will go up against not only those of rival automakers like Toyota and Chevrolet, but also big brand names such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Therefore, Shannon is right: the bar has been set high indeed.
