Hyundai revs up brand awareness with a sound-on video ad campaign

The Brief:

Hyundai wasn't a newcomer to digital audio ads on Spotify, but this time, the team wanted to test out Spotify's sound-on video ad option. They already had the perfect creative asset on hand—an engaging, humorous video ad leaning into the various ways Brits pronounce “Hyundai”, as a way of getting them to reappraise the brand. And what with the Hyundai IONIQ 5 winning 2022 World Car of the Year,¹ it felt like the perfect time to introduce Brits to the global way of saying "Hyundai". With the video ads, Hyundai hoped to scale their reach and boost brand awareness.

The Solution:

Since Hyundai already had creative assets to work with, the solution was simple—take their existing clips and turn them into video ads on Spotify. In contrast to some other platforms, video ads on Spotify aren't muted or skippable, meaning listeners have a better opportunity to engage with the content.

The ad content strategy was simple: use humor to draw attention to the brand’s transformation, and challenge the listener to reconsider their view of Hyundai, by playing on the difference between the common—but not incorrect—UK pronunciation and the global pronunciation. The asset was designed to drive better Recall and Awareness throughout the campaign. Since the creative covered different demographics and therefore different types of pronunciation, it spoke to listeners across a wide range of lifestyles and locations.

In the end, listeners got a laugh—and they discovered the global way to say the brand's name in the process.

The Impact:

The video was funny, unique, and played out well for the intended audiences, leading to impressive results. The campaign far exceeded expectations, surpassing Nielsen benchmarks for brand uplift across all measured questions.

The Takeaway:

Advertisers seeking to drive Awareness and Recall can explore more ad formats than just audio on Spotify—using existing video creative or coming up with new video ads can be a great way to complement an audio strategy and get the word out about your brand.

"At Hyundai, we're always looking for new and innovative ways to reach our target audience. The New Dawn campaign, which aimed to refresh the Hyundai brand with a fun and engaging creative, was a great opportunity to tap into Spotify's UK audience to raise interest and awareness for the brand. The results have been fantastic."

-Head of Brand Communications
Hyundai Motor UK

1. World Car Awards, 2022 </Foonote>