In 2016, Hyundai premiered a new commercial during the Super Bowl starring Kevin Hart. This commercial focuses on their new Vehicle the Genesis Model. This vehicle has a “Car Finder” app built into the car that can connect to your phone, smartwatch, and other smart devices.
Instead of addressing this new feature head-on, they decided to introduce it through the use of a comedic storyline. The storyline they created focuses on a father’s dedication to keeping his daughter safe on her first date. Kevin Hart, the father, follows the car using the new feature “Car Finder”. While following the car he sneakily scares off the boy who took his daughter out on a date. Throughout the storyline, they added exaggerated scenes of Kevin Hart hiding in stuffed animals and riding in a helicopter with missiles. It is safe to say that Kevin Hart is not playing around when it comes to his daughter.
The reason why this style of marketing works is because of two reasons: Pathos and structure. Pathos is used a lot in this commercial to help viewers find a deeper connection with the product. The commercial uses humor to bring in the audience through the silly antics Kevin Hart goes through to look over his daughter. However, throughout the story, you also can gain a sense of nostalgia, love, or a warm feeling from seeing how much a father cares for his daughter.
Hyundai also used a narrative structure instead of a chronological style. This structure allows viewers the chance to connect through the use of pathos. It also sets itself apart from other car commercials because they did not blatantly talk about their vehicle. They grabbed the audience’s attention before introducing the product they were selling.
In the end, Hyundai is a dad’s best friend.
Myranda Ross
IMC Hawks Blog 
This was such a creative twist by Hyundai. There aren’t too many car commercials that are memorable these days. Choosing Kevin Hart was a great decision for this ad, and I’m sure this had a positive effect on Hyundai’s sales afterward.
Most car commercials make me roll my eyes and change the channel, but this one truly does appeal to me. Comedy is something that will always draw me in for commercials because I feel like I get something out of them even if I don’t actually purchase the product, but seeing those enjoyable commercials leaves an imprint on me and I always remember the appeal that brand had to me in that given moment and may help me make future purchasing choices.
I remember seeing this ad and thinking how funny it was. I think it was a smart choice to put Kevin Hart in this ad because he is a celebrity and made the commercial very humorous. Most car ads I see today tend to all be the same, while this one was different and viewers can really connect with the storyline.
For Hyundai to make a commercial as entertaining as this one is definitely a new take on their part. By incorporating Kevin Hart into the commercial, it automatically drew people in as most people know who he is and enjoy his comedy. Personally, I enjoyed the commercial because it was something out of the ordinary and was not a typical, boring car company advertisement.
I think it was a great marketing strategy to play on fathers conciousness of when his daughter goes out somewhere and wanting to be able to watch over her likea hawk. Good ploy on their part to pull in consumers with both the comical side and the fatherly side
I believe any good ad invokes a plethora of emotions from it’s audience, humor and empathy being two of the most important. The fact that Hyundai is reinventing the typical car commercial by relating to the day-to-day life of it’s consumers is a great strategy for gaining attention and bringing awareness to it’s brand. Even if someone views the ad and doesn’t go buy a car, they accomplished their purpose of boosting publicity because here we are discussing their brand thanks to their funny ad. People will quickly share funny finds with one another with out hesitation, and who doesn’t love Kevin Hart. This was a job well done for Hyundai.
This Hyundai commercial changed the format of the basic car advertisement. By showing all of the car’s new features through a story line of a very protective father, which allows the viewer to see how they can always know where there Hyundai is at all times. Finally, having a very funny and recognizable actor such as Kevin Hart makes this commercial that much more memorable.
This post made a great point about how pathos can establish a connection with audiences. I believe that adding a comical/emotional aspect (let alone a very relatable one) to the commercial benefited Hyundai well. I remember when I first saw this commercial years ago, I was thinking, “Really? Another car commercial?” However, once I saw one of my favorite comedians in it and the hilarious storyline, I instantly loved it. What really made me loved the commercial though was that it reminded me of my dad and how crazy/funny he can be. In a sense, just like the post mentioned, it did create a feeling of ‘nostalgia’ and it warmed my heart.
I agree with the effectiveness of this advertisement due to the humor, appeal to emotions, and narrative. I think Kevin Hart, a very popular comedian, also contributed to the effectiveness due to his humor and credibility as a person in the spotlight. Car commercials are often very bland and cliche so Hyundai did a great job adding a twist.
I believe having a face like Kevin Hart representing your company is a good way to maintain relevancy, but the downside to me is that if someone feels strongly negative about Kevin Hart, the might be drawn away from Hyundai. Personally, I enjoyed the commercial and thought it was funny and relatable, and I see it having a generally positive impact.
I think that this commercial was a great way to really connected with it’s audience. It was great adding Kevin Hart because of his role in comedy. Most car ads are serious, but this one gave a new perspective that was not only funny, but showcased a new feature in the car. It can be hard to find the right advertisement strategy whether it be to pull at our emotions or give us a long list of statistics, but this Hyundai commercial picked the right strategy.
During this year’s Super Bowl, I felt like a lot of car companies were trying to make us as an audience choke up or become nostalgic, yet it didn’t have anything to do with the car. This confused me, because even if it was a very moving commercial, I think it should incorporate the brand somehow. This particular commercial worked, because it made me nostalgic (knowing my Dad would do the same thing), yet integrated their product perfectly into the commercial. Additionally, I loved that they used Kevin Hart as the father figure, because he is very relevant and everyone thinks he’s funny, so it made the commercial come to life.
I think your description of the commercial’s strategies are very accurate. It ties into our reading of Brand Thinking; McCracken’s interview specifically. Father-daughter relationships for some reason are held in high esteems in Western culture (which isn’t really a bad thing). So it used this idea in culture to appeal to the audience and create a form of a relationship between the viewer and the commercial. They appealed to all possible personalities of the readers by listing the benefits and features of the car as well as including humor and a person’s love for a child.
Car commercials tend to be more entertaining when a well known figure is in it. In this case, Kevin Hart was an excellence choice by Hyundai. Considering they were advertising the “Find my car” app that allows one to connect to a device, the antics made it hilarious. If the add isn’t entertaining, people won’t pay much attention to what is being advertised.
Myranda, this is a really great interpretation and summary of this commercial. It was descriptive, but also short and to the point. I also agree that this advertising strategy worked because of pathos and structure. This is a great, memorable commercial that would definitely sell a Hyundai to a protective dad, like my own.
I like how you captured the use of pathos in this commercial. It just shows that they are trying to appeal to the audience more with the family side of it, rather than just state some facts about the car. People will even have certain feelings toward Kevin Hart that either positively or negatively effects how they view the commercial.
I think this commercial was a great way for Hyundai to set themselves apart from other car companies. Most car commercials focus on the features of the vehicle and their ratings among consumers which is good information to have, but often gets ignored by viewers. By using such a well known comedian, Hyundai reaches a larger demographic and adds a fun, humorous aspect to their brand image. Also, by using this storyline in the commercial, they get the viewer to be more engaged and to build a connection with the plot, and therefore the car.
The situation is a stereotypical scenario that makes many viewers instantly relate to the story line. As parents, Hyundai can expect consumers to chuckle and remember the commercial because they know the feeling of being overprotective-proving to them that Hyundai has a value of protection and safety. A younger audience can relate to overprotective parents or merely relate to a time their parents were similarly worried-putting Hyundai in their minds for future reference in car buying as their family-values are loyalty. Using a familiar and humorous actor also increases the chance of viewers sharing the commercial with others and therefore spreading the brand by word of mouth!
Like the previous comments stated, a lot of car commercials these days lack substance that makes them stand out from others. However, in this commercial I think Hyundai was extremely creative in the personality they used as well as the storyline used throughout the commercial. Almost every demographic can relate to this commercial in some way. Whether you are the dad, girl, the guy taking her out, or even an older brother, Hyundai did a great job appealing to all audiences.
I enjoyed this commercial! I appreciated the humor and how Hyundai showed its features in a creative way. It holds a powerful attribute of the car having a location device as location apps now a days are very popular and make a great asset to have on a car for safety reason. This pulled in an emotional need to want the car- to remain safe and protected, just what the dad was doing over his daughter.
I really like how they broke out of the expectation box when it comes to car commercials by making use of a storyline and adding a lot of humor to it. Usually, you would expect a very serious tone in car commercials, displaying how luxurious and beneficial the car would be for you. Instead, Hyundai delivers a completely different approach which is exaggerated but at the same time relatable as most fathers probably had such thoughts when their little girl went on her first date and they had no idea of what was happening throughout it. Another thing I’d like to add is that I think Queen’s song adds to the nostalgia effect of this commercial and the upbeat tempo helps just keeping a casual and inviting environment to the public.
-Luccas
I definitely think this was a great approach for advertising a car. Usually, all car commercials are the same. You see a car driving down a scenic road, making sharp turns and fancy maneuvers, and the driver looks to be having the greatest time of his/her life. This commercial, however, takes you beyond the car, and shows how it can benefit you in life outside of just driving. It also has that undeniable comedic relief that always gets the attention of viewers. Overall, I thought it was a very well-done advertisement.
Hyundai took a creative approach to this commercial, which seemed to work out in their favor. Instead of filling your screen with a bunch of facts, they decided to take an approach that the viewers could relate to. By having this emotional connection to the commercial I believe that they were able to reach a bigger audience.
Lately I have been overwhelmed with car commercials. The ones that are played the most are the Chevy and Ford commercials. Chevy normally goes on and says how great they are and how many awards their vehicles have. Ford on the other hand briefly says how good they are but say they set the standard on what great car making is. During both of those commercials they talk bad about one another. It was nice to see Hyundai’s commercial and not have to see them put anyone down but still have a great commercial. I commend them on doing that and would defiantly consider buying a car from them the next time I am in the market.
I fell that Hyundai is really did well for this commercial, normally it’s a over dramatic add about how cool this brand will make you look. Like Lincoln mkx commercials, However the spin on the classic commercial with Kevin heart was a perfect hit for me. something diffident is always better for me as a consumer.
Most car commercials are the same- boring and noneffective but I think that this one Hyundai created was very entertaining. Adding Kevin Hart into this made it have a more popular look on it because of his role in society today. This was very different from the average car commercials you see today which made it better than the rest.
Car commercials typically are not that appealing and not very unique to other car advertisements. However because this one has humor and a credible source like Kevin Hart the ad becomes significantly more memorable. Not only is the car ad memorable, but it displays how accurate the Car Finder program is. The commercial is both humorous and practical.
Hyundai did a superb job of making this relatable to viewers. First off, anyone who has ever been on a date in their teenage years, especially the first date, knows the fear that the girl’s father can put in them. This would also make it relatable to parents who have never-ending suspicions when their kids go out on dates. As mentioned before, having Kevin Hart play the strict father makes the commercial even more appealing because of his comedic wit and status as a movie star. I personally enjoyed it because it had one of my favorite comedians in it as well as a clever story line to promote the product.
I love commercials like this one, they make the viewer laugh and highlight unique product features at the same time. Its a real safe bet to have a comedy that is family friendly and if you feature a famous family friendly comedian as well you have a winning formula.
The moment Kevin Hart hit the screen, the audience knew the commercial was going to be funny. This caused them to pay attention, the plot was excellent in demonstrating comedy while at the same time informing us on the product. I will say that I don’t know a lot of people that will be a car based on one feature. This add only explained one feature of the car, but it did it well. I loved the commercial, but i’m not sure how effective it is. I understand why most car commercials explain a long list of features, but id rather watch this one.
When I first watched this commercial, of course I new there would be humor with Kevin Hart. Even with the humor I understood that it’s targeted for dads with teenage daughters. However, I didn’t catch the structure. Yes, I see that it’s a car for a loving dad but Hyundai never mentioned how the car is better than the competition or why you should buy it. They simply related it to everyday lives of dads in hopes they relate and will buy the car. Definitely genius.
I remember seeing this add during last years’ super bowl. I always enjoy the super bowl commercials because they are usually really entertaining and funny and this one was no exception. I do think I was a little out of character, or at least unexpected and a new twist on the car commercial category, because car commercials seem to often be most calm and collected. These more calm and often more serious car commercials usually focus on the cars’ safety features, gas mileage, or comfort features and therefore how you will be safer, save money, or be more relaxed if you have that car opposed to another. Everything else aside, I do think the commercial was effective because at the very base of everything else, it was memorable.
I think this commercial’s success comes from the humorous way that the car’s feature was shown. Instead of simply saying “here’s this car, it can do these things” Hyundai chose to demonstrate how the feature worked and how it could be used.
I loved this commercial! I thought Hyundai did a great job with keeping the audience hooked throughout the commercial. I think it appeals to several group of audiences. Teens can relate to it with past experiences with their parents, meanwhile parents would relate to it when they have tried to protect their little girl. Having Kevin Hart be the face of the commercial also attracted many people to it. Great job Hyundai!
This was really a good commercial. Hyundai did quite a job in choosing someone who was going to be recognizable and attracts attention. Kevin Hart appeals to all age groups. Hyundai allowed all ages groups to be interested in what he was saying or advertising! I am sure this had a positive impact! Smart moves by Hyundai!
I remember seeing this ad and thinking it was hilarious. It was definitely a smart marketing move to put Kevin Hart in this ad because he is a huge celebrity for our generation and made the commercial relatable to almost all viewers. A lot of car ads today are boring and repetitive, besides the dog ones or the Kia ones lol. But this one was different and really left an impression on its viewers.
I think this commercial is popular because it appeals not just to emotion, but has comedy involved as well. I know that my dad would absolutely love this because I have two sisters and he is always worried they are out with boys. I also think that kids can relate to this as well because they parents are constantly bugging them about where they are going and when they are going to be home. Kevin Hart is hilarious and definitely puts the icing on the cake for this ad!
Hyundai’s approach to yet another car commercial was great. It took a well known celebrity but rather than having Kevin Hart be like “I am a celebrity I like this car so you should buy this car” type feel, it lured the consumers in by telling a story and like you mentioned it appealed to pathos. People are really drawn to a feel good story or just a captivating story in general and I think that is why we see more and more “story-focused” commercials on tv.
I feel like using Kevin Hart definitely made people want to watch this commercial because it gives a twist on just a basic car commercial. It also makes the commercial relatable to teens and parents.
Most car commercials in my opinion aren’t that catchy and attention grabbing but, having Kevin Hart in this commercial is a great thing! Throwing some comedy into this really allows people to actually watch and pay attention to the commercial. It targets certain audiences, for the most part dads and their teenage daughters. I think this was a great commercial for Hyundai!!
I can absolutely see how the storyline structure makes this commercial work. Not only does it make the commercial more enjoyable (shout out to Kevin Hart) but it also makes people more invested in it. This allows them to have a positive reception to the brand that is being advertised which is Hyundai in this case. They did a great job on this commercial.
Hyundai weaves the features of the car in a very subtle way, which is why this advertisement is so effective. The commercial is more about the storyline and less about how great the car is, which makes the features of the car appear more naturally throughout the ad.
I love this commercial! It is so heartwarming, especially being an only daughter. This commercial works really well due to its portrayal of a father’s love by a well known and favored actor, Kevin Hart. It added in Kevin’s humor while still keeping it raw and real to what the company was trying to get across to the viewers.
this commercial was great! I forgot about it until reading this post as well. I really enjoyed how Kevin Hart was used for comedic relief as well as personifying the over-protective parent stereotype in a new way with Hyundai’s technology. I think this commercial was a big success for Hyundai promoting their Genesis line as well as their new technology within the vehicle as well.
I really enjoyed this commercial. The storyline was easy to follow along and precise enough to where you did not lose focus. Kevin Hart is a great comedic actor and was great for this role! Definitely made me laugh all while realizing what this commercial was trying to brand. I love it when commercials take on different antics for advertising.
I thought this commercial by Hyundai was brilliantly executed, structured, and well-thought out. They defiantly understood their audience and the specific setting their viewers would be in, watching this commercial near the Super Bowl. Like you said, they definitely appealed to the pathos and humour of their audience, something refreshing compared to just another car ad listing off a car’s potential awards and features. People connect better to stories they can relate to. It captures one’s attention seeing something unique and new. Also, the use of a well-known, popular celebrity also increased the commercials popularity and possibly “viral” ability. Overall, I thought it was a really funny, successful commercial and a smart move by Hyundai.
This was a good commercial because Kevin Hart is funny and will make people watch it. I found it funny because Kevin Hart is funny and he made me laugh. This was a great commercial!