Hyundai
Driving mass awareness of the IONIQ 5 during The Big Game
*Compared to Kantar's Automotive norms
The Objective
Going digital-first around The Big Game to introduce its new electric car
The launch of Hyundai's all-electric IONIQ 5 vehicle marks a new milestone for the automaker. To promote the brand's electric model, Hyundai made History of Evolution, a clever TV ad starring Jason Bateman, who took viewers through the often long journey of humankind to arrive at stellar technology — including Hyundai's all-electric IONIQ 5.
Hyundai aired the ad during both the NFL's AFC and NFC Championship games, and again during The Big Game's Pre-Game Show. But while in previous years, Hyundai invested heavily in TV spots during The Big Game itself, this year the auto brand chose to go digital-first around the tentpole moment. For Hyundai, TikTok specifically, where self-expression, creativity, and community thrive at scale, was the perfect engine to showcase the all-electric IONIQ 5 during The Big Game and beyond.
The Solution
Repurposing its pre-Big Game TV ad with a TikTok twist
Hyundai took a phased approach on TikTok to ensure its brand and IONIQ 5 stayed top of mind before, during, and after football's biggest annual event.
One week leading up to The Big Game, Hyundai repurposed its History of Evolution ad for TikTok specs and launched the video via One Day Max*. The ad's premium placement in TikTok's For You Feed ensured enormous reach and awareness of the brand and its all-electric vehicle.
The next day, Hyundai expanded on its original ad with a brilliantly-crafted "react" campaign. Reaction videos have been popular for years, but TikTok creators have taken the content genre to new heights, using native features like Duet and Green Screen to seamlessly show viewers their genuine and often hilarious responses to popular videos.
Hyundai's innovative campaign had creators like @angryreactions doing just that — reacting angrily and yet positively to the brand's TV ad placed side-by-side on the TikTok screen via Duet. Other creators, including @alisonholkerboss, @monaswain, @337speed, and @jakeceja, used TikTok's Green Screen tool to put themselves in the foreground of Hyundai's original video, then provide color commentary to their audiences while the IONIQ 5 ad played behind them. Hyundai ran these as In-Feed Ads leading up to The Big Game, then scaled spending on the day of The Big Game itself to further stand out from the competition.
Following The Big Game, Hyundai launched additional media, retargeting engagers from both its previous One Day Max and "react" In-Feed Ads with videos that further highlighted the IONIQ 5.
*One Day Max, an ad solution that allowed advertisers to show up in the first ad slot in TikTok's For You Feed for up to 24 hours, is no longer available. We have introduced Top Feed as a new solution under Reach and Frequency buying that allows brands to place media in the same prominent first in-feed ad slot with predictable, optimized reach and controlled frequency on TikTok Ads Manager. Learn more about Top Feed here.
The Results
An electrifying performance
Hyundai's decision to forego its traditional TV ad spot during The Big Game — and go big on TikTok instead — was itself another milestone moment for the automaker, which looks to keep innovating both its cars and its media.
The brand's premium-placed One Day Max saw viewers give their undivided attention, as the Video Completion Rate for the ad came in at 98% above TikTok benchmarks. Moreover, Hyundai's clever use of creator partnerships for its "react" In-Feed Ads campaign garnered an 18% increase in 6-second View-Through Rate against TikTok benchmarks.
Following the campaign, a Kantar Brand Lift Study showed that the campaign outperformed both Ad Recall norms by 8.5x and Brand Awareness norms by 3x in the Auto category — making this Hyundai's most successful Brand Lift Study for any campaign it has run to date! Finally, with the success of this campaign, Hyundai has now moved to an always-on creator program on TikTok.
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During The Big Game, which is a notoriously crowded time for brands, we'd like to think we stole the show — even without a TV broadcast spot — by making noise in all the right ways on TikTok. We did this by working with amazing creators, who helped promote the IONIQ 5 in ways that felt fun and totally native to the TikTok screen. And we couldn't be happier with the results, as we significantly outperformed all KPIs, including a 3x increase in Brand Awareness compared to Kantar's Brand Lift Study norms for the Auto category. It's clear the landscape has shifted and to connect with today's consumers, we need to keep evolving and look for new ways to ensure our brand is front and center where people are spending their time.
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