• by Tanya Gazdik , November 13, 2022

Hyundai’s electric SUV will make an appearance in the new season of the Netflix show “Down to Earth with Zac Efron: Down Under.”

The product placement is also part of a “Take Small Steps to Make A Big Difference” marketing campaign. It leverages “Down to Earth” content across multiple platforms to reach the show’s Gen Z target audience, for whom sustainability is a core value.

In the docu-series, now in its second season, Efron teams up with wellness expert Darin Olien to explore Australia’s diverse environments.

The theme of the show aligns closely with the automaker's sustainability message, says Thomas Schemera, executive vice president and head of customer experience division at Hyundai Motor Co.

“We believe the EV’s eco-friendliness will be well-represented in a native and natural manner,” Schemera says in a release. 

A short video released on Nov. 7 shows the Ioniq 5 being used by Efron and Olien. The duo is shown using the V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) function to operate small appliances while kicking back on the vehicle’s fully reclining front seats.

The campaign includes an Instagram social challenge that aims to promote participation in a sustainable mission, such as “drink from tumbler within two hours” or “pack leftovers within six hours in a multi-use container.”

The challenge will lead to a monetary donation made in participants’ names to the nonprofit Earthday.org. Efron and Michael Simkin, the executive producer of the show, are Global Advisory Members to the nonprofit.

In addition, the campaign’s Roblox challenge reinforces the message that each sustainable action can help create an eco-friendly society. 

Players engage in minigames and quests with themes of sustainable practices in daily life, including zero-waste cooking, upcycling and drinking coffee out of reusable cup.

In the game’s Eco Forest Zone, the results of those daily practices are gathered as life energy to grow a “world tree.” When this “world tree" reaches a certain level, the Roblox game money will actually be cashed in and donated to the nonprofit.