• by Karl Greenberg , November 12, 2015

Hyundai will be back in the Super Bowl in 2016 for the 50th anniversary game on Feb. 7. It is part of Hyundai's "big voices in big places" media strategy that began in 2012 or so under the aegis of then-CMO Joel Ewanick. 

The automaker, back for the eighth time, will certainly get the big place, as this is likely to be one of the -- if not the -- most-watched TV events since this year's game, Super Bowl XLIX. And the automaker also has the big voice, as it will run about three minutes’ worth of ad creative during and before the game. This year also happens to be Hyundai's first year as an official NFL sponsor, a deal signed earlier in 2015.

Hyundai says it plans two in-game 30-second spots prior to the halftime dog-and-pony show, with the new creative appearing during the first and second quarters of the game. The effort, via Hyundai's AOR Innocean, also features a pre-kickoff 60-second ad, when most people are glued to the set (unless they are making the last-minute run). 

Hyundai will also run a different pre-game show spot. All in all, it won't be cheap to advertise during the 50th. Earlier this year, Leslie Moonves, CEO of CBS, the network that will cover the event, said that the going rate for a 30-second slot during the game is about $5 million. A half-mute spot in this year’s game ran at about $4.5 million per ad. 

The automaker is mum about the creative, but it is likely the company will give some screen time to the new Elantra, which it will show in Los Angeles this week, per a company release. And it is not unreasonable to think there will be a focus on Genesis, not the car but the new luxury sub-brand by that name, which Hyundai announced last week. The company this week unveiled a peek at what the first car in the stable, called the G90 — replacing the Equus — will look like. 

Said Hyundai's U.S. CMO Dean Evans, in a statement: “It’s fitting that our most strategic Super Bowl marketing program ever at Hyundai is happening during Super Bowl 50 and what is anticipated to be the most-watched TV event of all time."

Hyundai says the Super Bowl marketing program will also include a strong digital media presence, experiential activations in the San Francisco Bay Area and more than 400 Hyundai vehicles serving as promotional cars throughout Super Bowl week.

Hyundai's deal with the NFL makes it the League’s official car, SUV and luxury vehicle. The campaign launched on Sept. 9 with the season kickoff, with two TV spots, which are running weekly on Sunday. Hyundai also presaged the 50th anniversary game with a presence on the ground at Kickoff 50 Fan Fest at San Francisco's Pier 35.