Hyundai

Hyundai is a phenomenon in the automotive world. While many traditional manufacturers can trace their roots back over a century, the South Korean brand has grown at a breathtaking pace since its foundation in 1967 to become one of the largest carmakers in the world. What began with a modest licensed production of the Ford Cortina has developed into a global automotive giant in record time. Today, Hyundai is not only one of the largest car manufacturers in the world but also sets standards in the areas of alternative drives, autonomous driving and futuristic design. This development is also reflected in the brand communication. Hyundai strikes an interesting balance between past and future – a concept that has received great recognition in the Red Dot Award. The two canpaigns “The ad that should have been” and “Hyundai gets its driver’s license” were both awarded a Red Dot: Best of the Best in the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2024.

The creative agency Jung von Matt played a major role in this success, repeatedly setting standards in the advertising world with innovative, strategically well-thought-out campaigns. Its ability to emotionally charge brands and to stage their messages in a way that is appropriate for the target group has shaped not only Hyundai but also numerous other brands like bofrost*, Nike and Mercedes-Benz.

“The ad that should have been”: A tribute to a visionary concept

Some advertisements take months to complete – the one for the Pony Coupé Concept took a whole 50 years. With the campaign “The Ad That Should Have Been”, Hyundai is finally giving the legendary concept car the stage it was denied in the 1970s. The concept car, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was ahead of its time and also influenced Giugiaro’s work on the DeLorean, which was introduced in 1983 and became world-famous through the film “Back to the Future”. The print ad in retro style humorously brings the almost forgotten design icon to life and pays tribute to the visionary vehicle that never went into production. And Hyundai goes one step further: in 2023, the carmaker recreated the lost concept car together with its original designer – as a sign of appreciation for its own heritage.

The creative execution of this campaign was handled by the renowned agency Jung von Matt. They transformed the story into a retro advertisement that looks like it came straight out of the seventies. With typical elements of the era – from the inviting headline to the extensive text and the authentic typography and grain – the ad takes viewers on a graphical journey through time. With this campaign, Hyundai wanted to show that innovative thinking is not a new development, but has been part of the company’s strategy from the very beginning.

“Nowadays the word ‘iconic’ is often used, but the Pony Coupe Concept really deserves it. A mere glance at the sports car designs from the years after its development makes it easy to understand how much influence this model had,” said Jung von Matt in an interview with Red Dot. “For us, it was exciting to tell a story that had never been told before, about a car whose story was worth telling.”

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“Hyundai gets its driver’s license”: autonomous vehicles put to the test

While “The ad that should have been” celebrates the past, “Hyundai gets its driver’s license” looks to the future. In this emotional online campaign, the autonomous “Ioniq 5 Robotaxi” vehicle undergoes a classic driving test – and passes with flying colours.

The campaign not only showcases the progress Hyundai has made in the field of autonomous driving technologies but also builds trust in the reliability of these innovations. With research showing that over 70 per cent of people are sceptical about autonomous vehicles, Jung von Matt took a creative approach: the self-driving Hyundai Ioniq 5 had to pass a real, internationally recognised driving test – with a renowned driving examiner who is known for her particularly strict assessments.

“The challenge was to create trust,” explained Jung von Matt. “As many people are unable to understand the technical tests that autonomous driving technology undergoes, we opted for a test that nearly everyone has experienced at least once in their lives. We put the Robotaxi through an internationally recognised driving test – with a local driving examiner who has an excellent reputation but also the highest failure rate.”

The test was not only filmed but shared worldwide – allowing viewers to experience the testing process up close. The result? Many began to question and reevaluate their view of autonomous driving technology. The multi-stage campaign became a viral success with over 145 million impressions and 62 million views. “In today’s world, where people have free and unlimited access to data and news, it is crucial that corporate communication is based on facts. It needs to be founded on real, verifiable insights – not just intuition,” said the Agency.

» To the interview with Jung von Matt

Inspired by tradition, built for the future

With these two campaigns, Hyundai is emphasising its position as a brand that is inspired by its past and focused on the future in equal measure. While “The ad that should have been” celebrates the design heritage, “Hyundai gets its driver’s license” brings technological advances to life. This strategic combination of nostalgia and innovation strengthens the brand image and shows that Hyundai honours its past and actively shapes the future.