One of the NFL’s newest sponsors, official automotive partner Hyundai, is rolling out its first campaign – Because Football – as an official rights holder led by two new TV spots which aired nationwide on kick-off Thursday.
The first 30-second commercial, ‘D-Gate’, features passionate Arizona Cardinals fans and promotes its recently redesigned Tucson SUV (and specifically the hands free liftgate).
Appropriately enough for a vehicle called Tucson, the focus is on Arizona Cardinals fans and their attempt to create the ultimate symbol of support for their team.
A second ad, ‘Field Goal’, will debut on 24 September, is another tribute to fan passion and features a napping newborn baby in the comfort of a Sonata sedan.
Both commercials carry the campaign’s #BecauseFootball hashtag and will run on NFL broadcast and online properties and air across network TV game coverage through the season and on Hyundai’s YouTube channel.
According to Hyundai, these commercials are the launch phase of ‘a raft’ of football-themed ads for its football-centered, season-long ‘Because Football’ campaign which already includes social media content.
Fan passion comes in many colors. #BecauseFootball http://t.co/N4Nv79XLft pic.twitter.com/OW0SknlM7p
— Hyundai USA (@Hyundai) September 10, 2015
‘Our NFL campaign is all about conveying our love for football and providing opportunities for people to celebrate the game in a meaningful way,’ explains Hyundai Motor America customer communications and communications director Jacquelyn Kim.
‘In the new television creative, we want to showcase what passionate fans do #BecauseFootball, and include the role our vehicles can play in that.’
Hyundai also holds the designation of ‘official presenting sponsor of 2015 NFL Kickoff’ activities – which saw its support a free concert in the San Francisco Bay Area – the venue for the 2015/16 season culmination’s Super Bowl 50.
We're presenting @NFL’s season opener w/ @elliegoulding & @train! #freeconcert #Kickoff2015 http://t.co/kDE3r2iizG pic.twitter.com/mxBpbJK9gJ
— Hyundai USA (@Hyundai) September 9, 2015
This concert sees Hyundai display a specially liveried ‘Super Bowl 50 Gold-Wrapped Hyundai Tucson’ and a ‘Tailgating-Customised Santa Fe’ at the 9 September Hyundai Fan Fest on San Francisco’s Pier 35.
Also at the fan fest, Hyundai will run its ‘FieldHouse’ experiential program, as well as distribute promotional handouts and offer a green-screen NFL fan photo opportunity.
Fans will also be able to enter an NFL sweepstakes to win an all-new 2016 Tucson simply by checking into the Hyundai space by using their NFL Fan Mobile Pass.
The Fieldhouse experience enables and encourages fans to interact with the vehicles, hang about on comfortable couches and watch the season opener on giant screens in a purpose built 2,400-square-foot pre-game venue.
The Hyundai Fieldhouse also features as a strand of the auto brand’s college football campaign ‘This Is Loyalty’.
Hyundai has partnered with 17 individual college football teams and is activating these sponsorships on the regional marketing basis through the integrated #ThisIsLoyalty initiative.
The 2015/16 season marks the fifth year for the auto brand’s #ThisIsLoyalty NCAA football activation.
The regional campaign – developed with in-house agency Innocean USA – spans TV, print, radio, out-of-home and digital ads, as well as social media elements.
The TV commercials are dealer-centric spots in which a customer and salesman bonding over shared team spirit in a sales room filled with team gear and memorabilia.
The press-focused print executions include game day programs and fan guides, while local radio work on regional shows and local game broadcasts draws parallels between college football fans and Hyundai owners through spots called ‘Shared Loyalty’, ‘Every Game’, ‘No Words’ and ‘Not Going Anywhere’.
While an out-of-home ad strand spans in-stadium LED ribbons and boards, while online advertising spans digital banners on college athletic sites and on Hyundai.com.
This online #ThisIsLoyalty phase encourages fans to share their pictures, posts and tweets exemplifying their individual expressions of team loyalty.
This is backed up by a microsite at www.HyundaiUSA.com/Loyalty which features a leaderboard tracking fan social buzz to determine which team’s fans have they loudest and most loyal social voice.
This regional, college campaign will also include no fewer than 117 game day events handled by agency Advantage International.
Another element of the Fieldhouse activity includes a media partnership with digital food and travel network Tastemade (along with local chefs) shooting nine episodes of tailgate party-theme ‘The Grill Iron’ at Hyundai’s Fieldhouse,
Hyundai’s college football partnerships include Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin.
Comment
Earlier this year, in June, Hyundai replaced General Motors as the league’s official auto sponsor.
Marking the end of GM’s 14-year period as the incumbent NFL car marquee.
Hyundai’s new four-year NFL deal is reported to be worth twice as much as the old GM deal at around $50m per year.
‘We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration and tell the Hyundai brand story,’ says Hyundai USA CEO Dave Zuchowski.
Earlier in the summer Hyundai promoted its NFL deal announcement by projection-mapping the Hyundai and NFL logos onto our HQ in Fountain Valley, CA.
The NFL deal adds to Hyundai’s sister company Kia’s official car partnership with the NBA.
Chevrolet is the official car of Major League Baseball, while Honda has the official NHL rights.
Links
Hyundai USA YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/HyundaiUSA
Hyundai USA Twitter:
Hyundai NFL Website:
https://www.hyundaiusa.com/nfl?cmpid=RF_SM_YouTube_5m3s6c5102522922
Hyundai USA Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Hyundai
Hyundai USA Instagram:
https://instagram.com/hyundaiusa/
NFL:
Innocean USA:
Advantage International:
http://www.advantagemrktg.com/
