• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, October 19, 2023

A specially designed Hyundai Ioniq 5 was introduced on “Dancing With the Stars” Tuesday to help celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary and sell cars.

The car played a starring role on par with the dance pros and their celebrity partners. In the photo above, it literally appeared onstage.

Working with Disney, the car was conceived by Hyundai to commemorate Disney’s yearlong promotion and marketing campaign for its centennial. The company was founded by Walt Disney and Roy Disney in 1923.

The car played a prominent part throughout the two-hour “DWTS,” which was devoted to celebrating the 100-year milestone of ABC’s sprawling corporate parent.

The sponsorship details, taken from Hyundai’s press release, included the opening scene, which showcased the IONIQ 5 Disney100 Platinum Edition driven by some of the “DWTS” dance pros “through a magical world of Disney’s most iconic characters” and then entering the studio for the show’s opening group performance number.

Indeed, the opening scene starring the Ioniq 5 looked so much like a commercial that a viewer watching at home was unsure at first whether the show was underway. As it turned out, the scene was part of the show.

The car was also featured in some of the pre-taped rehearsal footage that is a part of every episode of “DWTS.” Ioniq 5 logos and graphic elements were seen throughout the show.

“Brand-exclusivity of advertisement spots during the first hour of the show and advertisements on Disney+ during ‘Dancing with the Stars’ ” were also part of Hyundai’s partnership with Disney, the car company said.

"Disney100" is the brand name the company has devised for all its anniversary content and promotion, and Tuesday's "DWTS" episode was titled "Disney100 Night."

The in-show participation of the Hyundai brand was a first for ABC. “As part of ‘Disney100 Night,’ Hyundai created a special IONIQ 5 Disney100 Platinum Edition, featuring unique Disney-inspired design elements and wheels,” ABC said.

“This commemorative vehicle is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between an auto manufacturer and Walt Disney Imagineering,” the network said.

The Ioniq 5 is an electric SUV that Hyundai says is built on a “dedicated battery electric vehicle platform” that “enables faster charging, increased driving range, more interior space and better handling.”

Its Disney design elements include the Disney100 logo embossed on the front seat headrests and center console and Disney100 logos on the floor mats.

The car even greets its driver with Disney pixie dust. When the car is turned on, “the interior screen … features iconic Disney music, the Disney100 logo and pixie dust,” Hyundai said in a press release.

“We are thrilled to be unveiling the IONIQ 5 Disney100 Platinum Edition during ‘Dancing with the Stars’,” said Angela Zepeda, chief marketing officer for Hyundai Motor America. 

“Disney100 night is the perfect opportunity to showcase this first-of-its-kind collaboration between Disney Imagineering and an auto manufacturer. We couldn’t think of a better way to extend our Disney100 partnership.”

In Tuesday’s show, the 11 remaining couples danced to iconic music from some of Disney’s best-known animated movies -- including “Lady and the Tramp,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” and more.

The couple eliminated from the competition at the end of the show were NFL-er Adrian Peterson and dance pro Britt Stewart.