Hyundai Welcomes Drivers Back to the Commute With All-New Kona Campaign During Football Kickoff Game

Hyundai is launching its new advertising campaign for the 2024 Kona and Kona EV[1]* during the football kickoff game on Thursday, Sept. 7, airing on NBC and Peacock.

“When evaluating the debut of the all-new Kona and Kona EV advertising campaign, we couldn’t think of a better place than during the football kickoff game,” said Angela Zepeda, CMO of Hyundai Motor America. “Football on Sunday Night is TV’s most-watched prime-time show for 12 years, running with an average of 19.9 million viewers in 2022. This year, we’re expanding our sports advertising to include football on Thursday on Amazon Prime, doubling the expected reach for our ads. There are so many places where people watch sports today, and we want to ensure we meet them wherever they are.”

Kona National Marketing Campaign

More and more companies in the United States are mandating team members to return to in-office work, which means many drivers are returning to a regular commute – whether they like it or not. With the launch of a 60-second spot titled “Welcome Back to the Commute,” Hyundai wants to welcome these consumers back on the road with the all-new Kona and Kona EV.

The advertisement highlights the available class-leading safety and intuitive technology features in the vehicles that can help alleviate the stress of the commute, including easy-to-use navigation, BlueLink+[2], unlocking the car with your phone using Digital Key 2[3], and Remote Smart Parking Assist[4].

The Kona marketing campaign was developed in collaboration with Hyundai‘s advertising agency of record, INNOCEAN USA, while its media agency, Canvas, coordinated the media buys.

“There’s no denying the pandemic changed how we work, and yet here we are again, on the verge of even more change with many companies mandating a return to the office policies,” said Jason Sperling, Chief Creative Officer, INNOCEAN. “For some of us, a ‘commute’ spurs feelings of excitement, loss, anticipation, and anxiety. As many head back to the office this year or are heading to the office for the first time, the Hyundai Kona is here for the journey, with all the connectivity and convenience features to elevate the driving experience.”

Following the ad’s launch, Hyundai will showcase the Kona and Kona EV with continued advertising during the 2023 football season and other high-profile sports placements in baseball and soccer games this fall.

In support of this campaign, Hyundai will also post custom, social-led creative across all owned channels—this includes a video called “Thursday Night Commute” that debuts on Sept. 7 before the game and depicts one football fan’s journey to make it home before kickoff. Every touchpoint of this campaign aligns with Hyundai’s innovative approach to delivering content designed to engage audiences by creating relatable in-feed moments.