The Olympics have a history of inspiring promoting replete with stories of triumph and athletes acting at their peak to achieve the worldwide stage. For the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, which kick off Friday, Hyundai is taking a special route with a campaign capturing the moments when children query whether the pressure of sports is price it and the response they receive from their parents.
The effort, titled “It’s OK,” marks a change of pace not only from what’s often on display on the Olympics promoting stage, but additionally for Hyundai as a brand. The automaker continuously markets around sports but often leans into humor, as demonstrated in a celeb-heavy Super Bowl spot from 2020 that played on heavy Boston accents to spotlight parking assist features. “It’s OK” carries a more somber tone that’s broken by moments of human connection as parents encourage their kids to take a break and pursue activities less taxing on their mental health.
“Never quit on finding what you like,” reads the closing message. “There’s joy in every journey.”
The campaign, created with Innocean USA, promotes the Tucson, IONIQ 5, Santa Fe and Palisade SUV models, though they keep a low profile. The marketing team was expressly instructed to not push a sales message across the Olympics, in keeping with Hyundai Motor America CMO Angela Zepeda.
“While the cars are in it, they’re definitely taking a bit of little bit of a back seat,” said Zepeda in an interview. “This is unquestionably telling more about our brand ethos first and telling an emotional story.”
Creative will appear as 60- and 30-second commercials airing in the course of the Summer Games broadcasts, with a deal with the USA Women’s soccer matches (Hyundai is lively in soccer as a worldwide FIFA sponsor). Tailoring the message to the programming, one ad closes with a woman deciding to change from gymnastics to soccer as her preferred sport, providing an uplifting coda. Digital and social content running on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube rounds out the media plan, which was handled by agency partner Canvas.
“We’ve been wanting to do more with women’s sports. Women are a really big audience we wish to speak more to,” said Zepeda.
Striking the proper tone
Hyundai’s Olympics play is an element of the corporate’s goal of sharing more of its “heart and soul,” said Jason Sperling, chief creative officer of Innocean USA. The concept was built off of the concept that many difficult heart-to-heart discussions occur as parents drop off and pick up their kids from sports practice. “It’s OK” is an extension of Hyundai’s “There’s Joy in Every Journey” campaign that positions the brand around joyous occasions.
“There is a bit of joy on this, in that it resolves right into a comfortable moment since you get to search out that thing you like to do, but sometimes life is not so perfectly laid out,” said Zepeda regarding the mood the ads aim to capture. “It was more about how people feel once they watch the Olympics. Audiences get so engaged and so they really feel the emotion of the games.”
Additionally, Hyundai is rolling out a “It’s Not a Sport” push on social that spotlights more area of interest sports like browsing, skateboarding and breakdancing.
Hyundai’s campaign stands in stark contrast to those of other Olympic sponsors. Nike recently unveiled its highly anticipated Summer Games ads, which dig into the ruthless drive it takes to win. Commercials narrated with relish by Willem Dafoe list typically negative qualities which can be nevertheless shared by many sporting greats, including an obsession with power, an inability to be satisfied and an absence of care for others’ feelings.
The response to Olympics promoting could provide vital insights to advertisers as they fight to navigate a tough second half that may include a contentious presidential election within the U.S. further dividing the general public. Hyundai plans to increase points of “It’s OK” throughout the summer and into the autumn.
“Consumer sentiment is unquestionably low,” said Zepeda. “The country might be needing a bit of boost. I feel the games, on the whole, are probably a highlight for numerous people.”
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