Dive Brief:
- Hyundai is returning to the Super Bowl next year with a campaign that includes in-game advertising, digital and social media marketing and several out-of-home (OOH) experiential activations at the Super Bowl Experience driven by Genesis, an interactive NFL theme park at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the company said in a press release.
- The in-game advertising will be the tenth time in the last 11 years that the automaker has purchased in-game ads. Last year it ran a 90-second documentary called "Operation Better" at the end of the game which was shot, edited and produced during the game and showed U.S. troops overseas watching the game who were reunited with families in the stadium.
- The Super Bowl advertising is being developed by brand's agency of record, Innocean Worldwide. Hyundai is the official car and SUV of next year's big game.
Dive Insight:
Watching brands' Super Bowl strategies next year will be interesting given a number of factors shaking up the ad world in 2017, especially cord-cutting, which has impacted the once rock-solid ratings powerhouse of NFL content. While in-game commercials are still the biggest play here, Hyundai emphasizing social media, digital and even experiential elements shows the brand taking a more multichannel approach in order to engage a wider net of consumers, especially young consumers who don't necessarily favor TV. Activations at an interactive NFL theme park fit into a growing trend where marketers blend various elements of OOH, digital and mobile together to create more memorable experiences.
Hyundai isn't alone in returning to in-game Super Bowl advertising after a break. M&M's is planning to run its first ad in three years, a 30-second spot created by BBDO New York. Frito-Lay's Doritos is also coming back after a one-year break with an ad by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. On the other hand, website builder company Wix.com — which has become well-known for its Super Bowl presence — is not only not running a commercial around the big game, but eschewing all TV advertising in 2018 as part of a shift toward digital and influencer marketing.
