Hyundai made a big splash at the Super Bowl three years ago with the mid-financial-crisis "Hyundai Guarantee." This year their big game strategy is more funny than financially sound motoring purchases.
Starting with a big 60-second "Rocky"-themed spot moments before kick-off, Hyundai plans to take the big game by storm with five commercials. In addition to the "Rocky" ad — and two others just released this morning — Hyundai will have two more spots. One will celebrate its 2012 North American Car of the Year victory for the Elantra with a new 30-second spot called "Victory Lap." The last ad is called "Faster Acting" and it showcases the new 429-horsepower Genesis R-Spec sedan.
Click through the gallery above to see the three ads released this morning.
The first ad is the 60-second spot, titled "All For One," and it's designed to reveal what drives Hyundai and its employees. Apparently inspired by Hyundai's founding chairman, Chung Ju-Yung, and his "words of determination and encouragement." Hyundai team members hum and sing along to the song "Gonna Fly Now" from the movie "Rocky" written by Bill Conti, Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins.
The ad features almost 200 actual Hyundai team members, trained by a vocal coach, and was filmed at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, in Montgomery, Ala.
Next up is "Cheetah," a 30-second spot slated for the first quarter, featuring a caged cheetah set to race a new 201-horsepower Veloster Turbo on a long stretch of open road. The car launches and the cage opens, but just a few yards into the race, the cat realizes he's met his match as the car speeds ahead. The competitive cheetah then takes his frustration out on his handler. Oh the funny. You know, unless you've read about recent incidents of caged animals mauling their owners. Also, you know, Siegried and Roy.
Finally there's "Think Fast," a 30-second spot slated for the fourth quarter of the game, introducing a character that will star in Hyundai's social media efforts named Bob. In this ad, a young professional is driving his boss, Bob, a "seasoned business pro," in his Genesis Coupe R-Spec. Bob is about to deliver a pearl of wisdom when he falls unconscious. The young driver hits the brakes hard, then throws his Genesis Coupe into drive repeatedly, generating enough force to revive Bob, at which time he delivers his piece of advice unphased by his apparent health scare.