Hyundai to Challenge “Marketing Conspiracy” with Super Bowl XLV Ads

With its three ads programmed to air during the Super Bowl XLV later in the day (Sunday, February 6), Hyundai wants to show the American public that not all compact cars have “uninspired design, cramped interiors and limited innovation”, as marketing portrays them. Two out of the three advertisements showcase the 2011 Elantra sedan, while the third features the 2011 Sonata Hybrid. Videos available after the break.

The first Elantra spot, called “Hypnotized”, will air during the first quarter and it “questions the idea that compact cars are as good as they can be”. It will be followed in the third quarter by the “Deprogramming” ad, which states, among other things, that “compact cars can be more”.

“We love the Super Bowl’s ability to transform over 100 million Americans into advertising aficionados, so we went with a playful theme that ties a marketing-driven conspiracy theory to our fresh take on the compact car segment, the 40-mpg Elantra”, said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “Building from the first two Elantra ads in the AFC Championship Game, and 10 viral spots online right now, the Super Bowl shifts the campaign into top gear with what may be the biggest group therapy hypnosis session ever attempted”.

Last but not least, the fourth quarter will bring the “Anachronistic City” spot starring the 2011 Sonata Hybrid. By creating a sharp contrast between the car and a variety of obsolete devices, Hyundai wants to highlight its commitment to innovation.

All three ads are the creation of Innocean Worldwide Americas and feature the brand’s 2011 “New Thinking, New Possibilities” vision.

Hyundai Begins Receiving Orders for its First-Ever Hybrid Model

Hyundai has officially started accepting orders in South Korea for its first-ever hybrid model, the Elantra LPI HEV, ahead of the car's market launch on July 8. Billed as the world's first hybrid electric vehicle to be powered by a Liquefied Petroleum Injected (LPI) engine, the Elantra LPI HEV made its premiere at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show in April. To be sold under the Avante badge in Korea, the Elantra LPI HEV drivetrain consists of a 1.6-liter LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) engine, a 15kW and 105Nm electric motor and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

The Korean automaker claims that the Elantra LPI HEV emits just 99 g/km of CO2 and 90 percent fewer emissions than an equivalent standard gasoline-powered Elantra. The mild-hybrid car returns an average fuel consumption of 17.8km/l or according to Hyundai, the gasoline equivalent of 22.2km/l which translates to 52.2mpg US and 4.5lt/100km, representing a 47 percent improvement over a conventional 1.6L auto-equipped Elantra.

In Korea, savings for buyers are even greater as the average price of LPG in the country is 50% less than that of gasoline. The Elantra LPI HEV will be followed in August by Hyundai's sister company's, Kia Forte LPI HEV that is powered by the same drivetrain.