Spoiled for Choice: Experiment with New Hyundai Tucson Campaign Yields Days of Footage That's Full of Life

• Hyundai's latest :30 commercial represents less than 0.9% of total useable video captured in a week-long, purposefully unstructured guerilla shoot
• Over 50 hours of footage featuring Social Media celebrities @JayAlvarrez and @AlexisRen and all-new 2016 Hyundai Tucson to be used in TV, online, social, and Cinema

MARKHAM, ON, May 25, 2016 /CNW/ - "I would like to label this Tucson project 'unconventional' but that really doesn't begin to describe it," said Lawrence Hamilton, Director of Marketing with Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. "We organized a commercial shoot with a deliberately different approach, using equipment and techniques honed in the social media world. Working without storyboards, a small team with a smattering of resources spent a week in a range of environments capturing a story that positioned our newest compact SUV in a new way. We ended up with more than two days worth of outstanding material that hit the mark so beautifully this experience could very well forever change how Hyundai approaches advertising production."

The all-new 2016 Hyundai Tucson launched late last year into arguably the hottest segment in the Canadian automobile market: compact SUVs. Armed with sophisticated European styling, advanced features, and a sporty-yet-refined driving experience, the Tucson posted months of double-digit sales gains. It also attracted a higher proportion of men (from 41% to 57%) and a better educated (+18% university/post-graduate), more affluent customer (+19% median household income).

"Even though we saw great results in the market with the new Tucson, we felt the vehicle still wasn't reaching its full potential," said Hamilton. "We needed a compelling reason for customers to put our compact SUV on their shopping lists."

Hamilton and his team, along with Hyundai's advertising agency, Innocean Worldwide, went back and dove deeper into the product, the competition, and the segment. What they found was a lot of sameness. "With very little exception, every compact SUV was at least as capable as the next by virtually every measure. What the Tucson needed to stand-out was an emotional draw that compelled people to see themselves in the driver's seat. Recognizing that a compact SUV can very quickly become an enabler for life's activities, we saw white space where the Tucson could become the vehicle that's 'Full of Life'."

Rather than putting together a traditional TV, print, and online campaign to deliver that message, the company sought-out people who exemplify the "Full of Life" mantra. Their search landed on thrill-seeking social media celebrities @JayAlvarrez and @AlexisRen. In a period of time that Hamilton describes as "incredibly quick", Hyundai proposed an unconventional shoot where a guerilla, two-person video team would film Alvarrez, Ren, and two friends during their week with a 2016 Tucson.

"In a typical shoot, you have a very large team working on a set schedule to achieve barely enough footage to create a 30-second commercial. More than that, unexpected developments during the shoot are genuinely unwelcome," said Hamilton. "With Jay and Alexis, we turned that concept on its head. We wanted to see what assets we could create by letting them loose. What we got back was 54 hours of video and, shockingly, every second is so compelling you risk spending all your time just watching the raw footage. We now have this deep, rich archive of film to pull from that will allow us to showcase the Tucson in new ways and from different perspectives and stay consistent with the 'Full of Life' message."

While the end result exceeded expectations, the actual experience of filming the footage was, at times, excruciating.

"We woke-up one morning and Jay wanted to do some cliff diving," said Vito Sacchetti, Senior Manager of Brand Communications at Hyundai. "So, we drove to a spot near Lake Tahoe only to find the access road was closed. Alexis suggested finding a raft and paddling out to the cliffs. By the time we were ready to get in the water, the winds picked-up and made it too dangerous. It was so bad we couldn't even charter a boat to take us. So, we had to figure-out what to do with the raft. Back in the car, we drove up a mountain range in Nevada and did some rafting in the snow. Everyone had a blast, which meant the footage turned-out far better than anyone expected. This scene also made it into the first of many pieces we'll pull from the video bank."

Sacchetti added: "On the last day of shooting, we captured some cliff diving. We could only do one jump since we had 30 minutes before most of the team had to catch a return flight home. That, I think, encapsulates the whole experience of creating these visuals: giving-in to a flow of ideas and capturing experiences as they happen. It's the same approach we see every day in some of the most popular videos on social media and was the ultimate goal of the campaign."

So far, the company is working on a 3 minute 30 second social media video, a 60-second commercial, three 30-second spots, and five 15-second teasers. The first spot, a 30 second commercial, appeared on TV and online May 9. The others will feed the company's social channels and cinema screens over a six month campaign.  The visuals are set against the Asaf Avidan & The Mojos song One Day / Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix).

"The song, the experiences caught on film, and Jay and Alexis all come together to deliver a message about the Tucson and how Hyundai's newest compact SUV fits perfectly into an aspirational and exciting lifestyle," said Sacchetti. "We set-out with this project to create something that would break-through. To do that, we needed to think differently, act differently, and allow a concept ultimately destined for a social media audience be 100 percent authentic. That was a risk for us and certainly took everyone out of their comfort zone. The end result though, was more than worth it."

All creative, production, media buying, and placement was managed by Innocean Worldwide Canada.

About Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through more than 210 dealerships nationwide. Hyundai is also the first to offer its zero-emissions Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle to Canadian customers. More information about Hyundai and its vehicles can be found at www.HyundaiCanada.com.

SOURCE Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.

Image with caption: "Social Media celebrities Jay Alvarrez and Alexis Ren are central figures in a new Hyundai video campaign that was shot with an unconventional approach. Rather than a traditional set or studio, a small camera team followed Alvarrez and Ren around while they drove the company’s Tucson compact SUV and captured more than 50 hours of footage. (CNW Group/Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160525_C5466_PHOTO_EN_699881.jpg

For more information about Hyundai and its products, please contact: Chad Heard, Senior Manager of Public Relations, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Office: [phone], Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Laurence Myre Leroux, Public Relations Specialist, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Office: [phone], Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]