Hyundai Launches FIFA 'Loyalty' Campaign

June 10, 2010

Hyundai, which is exclusive global auto sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is continuing its "Big Voices Big Places" media strategy with a new ad campaign around coverage of the games. The effort, via Innocean, airs on ABC and ESPN's coverage of the South Africa event.

The ads, with a "Loyalty" theme, tout the brand's top ranking in Brand Keys' 2010 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, and ties it to the theme of team loyalty, per the company.

The campaign's TV spots run in coverage on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, with extensions on radio, print, online, social media and Hyundai's Times Square billboard, per the automaker.

The three TV ads showcase "extreme loyalty" of soccer fans from around the world in ads featuring the voice of Jeff Bridges, who says: "Fans show their loyalty in all kinds of ways. Ours just buy another Hyundai."

In addition, Hyundai will be the exclusive automotive sponsor of all 64 halftime shows. The company says three spots will fill 287 slots ranging from in-game and halftime positions, to shows like "Sports Center," "World Cup Prime" and "World Cup Live."

Online elements include ads on ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile and ESPNSoccernet.com that feature a "Loyalty" quiz, asking fans questions to determine the strength of their allegiance to their favorite team. A consumer-content element on Hyundai's YouTube channel asks consumers to upload loyalty-themed videos.

Hyundai says there will also be 12 pages of print advertising in ESPN the Magazine, featuring work from the photographers Nadav Kander and Peter Marlow, and a photo of the U.S. upset of England in the 1950 World Cup. A radio campaign will span 51 in-game spots and more than 300 additional in-broadcast mentions during ESPN Radio's coverage.

A "Be There with Hyundai" element asks fans to create a slogan for their national team. The company says 52,000 were collected with the winning slogan for Team U.S. being "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Victory!"--Karl Greenberg