Hyundai leaves out the cars again in Super Bowl spot

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.

That heartstrings-first format carries over for Super Bowl LII. This time, the automaker aims the spotlight on its non-profit Hyundai Hope on Wheels, which is focused on finding a cure for pediatric cancer. For every Hyundai vehicle purchased, Hyundai and its U.S. dealers make a donation to the organization. The associated tagline: "Hope comes standard on every Hyundai."

Dean Evans, Hyundai's chief marketing officer, said there's plenty of time to tout its vehicles throughout the year. The brand, Evans said, is using the game to relay what it hopes will be a more resounding message.

To create the ad, Hyundai surprised several Hyundai owners who were invited by the automaker to attend NFL Experience festivities at the Minneapolis Convention Center last weekend. The unsuspecting subjects, who were told they'd receive gifts at the event for being owners, were funneled through metal detectors that Hyundai dubbed "hope detectors."

The machines beeped and displayed a heart when the Hyundai owners went through. They were then ushered into a backroom for an apparent secondary screening, but they instead watched a video of pediatric cancer survivors thanking them for supporting research through their Hyundai purchases.

As the video ends, the survivors in the video join them in the room to meet. The 60-second spot was produced by Innocean USA, Hyundai's agency of record. It airs in the fourth quarter.

It was originally supposed to feature game-day footage, but Hyundai said Sunday afternoon that none was included.

"The Super Bowl sometimes is a cultural reflection on what's going in the world, especially the United States." Eric Springer, chief creative officer of Innocean USA, told Automotive News. "We may not have a physical car in it, but the Jedi mind trick in the unearthing of a simple truth is hope is our greatest feature, and it comes standard on every Hyundai."

Evans said a car isn't needed in an ad to raise the profile of a brand. When Hyundai ran the military spot last year, Evans said owners made posts online or sent emails and letters saying they were proud to own a Hyundai.

Evans said this outpouring convinced them that Hyundai was on the right track with more human stories. He called this year's ad a "brand differentiator" instead of a "vehicle differentiator."

Hyundai selected the owners in the spot with the help of local dealerships in Minneapolis.

At the Super Bowl, "consumers expect companies to make a stand," Evans said. "Saying something with a global point of view at Super Bowl is more applicable than even launching a car, or telling everybody you've got 40 cars for sale. That's why we're really comfortable coming to the Super Bowl and not having a car in the spot, but having a point of view."