Following a preview earlier this month, Hyundai has officially aired their Super Bowl commercial called “Smaht Pahk.”
Designed to troll Boston / Massachusetts accents and promote the 2020 Sonata at the same time, the spot stars a number of local celebrities.
As you can see in the clip, Chris Evans comes across someone trying to park their Honda Accord in a tight parking space. Saturday Night Live’s Rachel Dratch arrives shortly thereafter and the two discuss how the driver will never be able to park there.
After the driver gives up, John Krasinski pulls up in a 2020 Sonata and brags about how he can park in the spot thanks to “Smaht Pahk.” In English, that’s Remote Smart Parking Assist which is a system that enables owners to pull into and out of parking spaces using just the key fob. While the technology isn’t new, it’s largely been limited to luxury vehicles and Hyundai decided to promote it to show how advanced the Sonata is.
The commercial will air during the first quarter and Hyundai says the video has “several Boston ‘Easter eggs’ for viewers paying close attention.” The company didn’t say what they are, but the clip also features Boston’s “Dirty Water” and an appearance by David Ortiz.
The Boston angle is a bit odd, but Hyundai says they came up with the idea after one of their employees jokingly referred to Remote Smart Parking Assist as “Smaht Pahk” in a Boston accent. The idea caught on and chief marketing officer Angela Zepeda said “We thought it was a fun, charming and memorable way to tell people about this incredible new technology using one of America’s most-recognized and beloved regional accents.”
In related news, Hyundai become the first automaker to launch a campaign on TikTok. Designed to appeal to the youths, the clip shows Rachel Dratch doing the #onedayafterwatching challenge. Hyundai says that’s “where people show how watching a TV show, movie or being in a location over time slowly changes who they are” and noted “Rachel was able to complete the challenge because she had just spent a lot of time reconnecting with her Boston roots while filming the commercial.”