Hyundai reveals 2022 Tucson in biggest US launch ever

Hyundai is marketing the new 2022 Tucson in a star-studded campaign, out Thursday, that marks the auto brand’s biggest launch ever in the US. 

The campaign, called “Question Everything,” includes a hero spot developed with INNOCEAN, starring celebrities Jason Bateman, Mindy Kaling, Becky G, Kawhi Leonard, Giada De Laurentiis and Nate Berkus.

The stars ask each other some of life’s most perplexing questions while driving in the all-new Tucson, such as, “Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?” and “If you enjoy wasting time, is it really wasted?”

The spot ends with Hyundai designers asking themselves questions about how to make the new Tucson even better for drivers. “Question everything. We did,” the voice-over reads.

“This is the most important launch for Hyundai, and the biggest one in our history,” said Angela Zepeda, chief marketing officer of Hyundai Motor America. “Tucson is our biggest volume vehicle and it's going to set the brand for the future.”

The campaign, which aims to increase brand awareness and love for the new vehicle, is rooted in the premise that questioning things is human nature, said Barney Goldberg, executive creative director at INNOCEAN USA.

“At Hyundai, we question things for the benefit of our drivers. How do we make the vehicle nicer, safer and more loaded with technology?” he said. “That's the hook of the campaign: help people see what lengths we went to redesign the car.”

The hero spot, of which there are 30 second cuts featuring different actors, aims to connect with a broad audience. The spots are supported by longer deep-dives featuring each actor that will run on social media.

“We want people to respond favorably to the cast and we wanted something for everybody,” Goldberg said. “We were going for reach. “Whoever you see on there, we wanted people to be able to relate to.”

The campaign, which will air on broadcast, includes a custom integration with “The Masked Singer” on Fox, as well as a partnership with ESPN’s “30 for 30.” Off screen, the campaign is supported by an AR experience developed with National Geographic that brings the new car to life in U.S. national parks, and has voice integrations with Google Home.

Hyundai will also create custom GIFs and stickers featuring the celebrities in the spot on social media, and run an influencer campaign and a “Question Everything” challenge on TikTok, where the celebrities will ask followers to share what they question the most.

The campaign is a major push back into the market for Hyundai, which is “getting back to business” after COVID-19 put many of its marketing plans on the back burner. While Hyundai didn’t pause advertising last year, it didn’t produce any new assets.

“COVID last year really messed up a lot of our plans. We had to keep pivoting as things were changing,” Zepeda siad. “But the market is picking back up. We're getting back to business.”