The Super Bowl is always a high-pressure atmosphere for an advertiser. That's especially the case for Hyundai, which has spent heavily for the credibility that comes with being an official NFL sponsor and is looking ahead to some key product introductions after a rough sales year.
But once again, Hyundai decided to park the cars for its marquee late-game spot, hoping to sell an idea that's bigger than the Kona subcompact crossover: hope in the face of cancer.
Hyundai has done its share of prototypical cars-and-gags Super Bowl ads featuring celebrities such as Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart, and found plenty of success that way.
Last year, though, it embraced a new car-free formula when it virtually transported U.S. soldiers stationed in Poland to Houston's NRG Stadium and reunited them with their families through 360-degree video pods.