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Hyundai is planning a massive effort around its sponsorship of the FIFA
World Cup.
The official mobility partner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup launches its U.S. marketing campaign June 1 with a 60-second video featuring five next-gen global players who are already changing the game.
Themed “Next Starts
Now,” the spot also features Son Heung-min, Hyundai Motor’s global brand ambassador and South Korean football icon, and a special cameo from an unexpected rising star, a Boston Dynamics Atlas
robot.
Two 30-second ads and a 15-second ad based on the global campaign film will also run across premium broadcast moments in FIFA programming.
The
campaign draws parallels between the young soccer stars and Hyundai’s vision for future innovation, said Sean Gilpin, CMO, Hyundai Motor America. The creative reflects the ambition of the
players, challenging convention and redefining the sport, much like Hyundai does with its commitment to advanced mobility and robotics, he adds.
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The effort from AOR Innocean
USA includes TV ads airing during the games, owned social content throughout the tournament, partnerships with key influencers, out-of-home media in key FIFA World Cup cities, advertising across
digital and streaming platforms, plus in-person fan experiences at select games throughout the tournament.
The 60-second video is supported by 30-, 15- and 6-second versions, as
well as modular content designed to live across TV, digital, social, experiential and retail channels. Media agency Canva coordinated the U.S. media buys.
“When you have a
global partnership like FIFA, you have to invest properly in all these channels to get all the value out of that partnership,” Gilpin tells Marketing Daily. “We believe that
investing in marketing is a better way to sustainable sales growth than other ways to spend money as an OEM [original equipment manufacturer]. So we have an always on and a heavy sports investment,
because that’s where live viewership is spending and scales, as well as connected TVs, which have made it a lot smarter in our ability to target.”
As an official FIFA partner
for 27 years, Hyundai Motor has supported the tournament through vehicle provision, transporting teams, officials, and media between venues.
Gilpin isn’t concerned
about some studies that indicate consumers aren’t interested in the World Cup.
“I think with so many kids growing up playing soccer and so many families sitting in
chairs watching kids play soccer in the U.S. I do think this year is going to be different, and I think the scale of it this year is going to be different,” Gilpin says. “Having this
global event, where the energy levels around soccer and fandom are so big, I think there’s going to be a ton of excitement.”
Hyundai will also host immersive experiences that
put fans at the center of the game with activations at FIFA Fan Fests in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Atlanta.
The campaign also extends across dealer activities, sponsor
merchandise, CRM, HyundaiUSA.com, point-of-sale materials and digital banners across Google, YouTube and Meta platforms.
