Hyundai seeks crossover sales momentum with new ads for 2019 Santa Fe

Hyundai Motor Co. is introducing three national TV spots featuring families spending quality time together in a 2019 Santa Fe crossover while creating memories.

The 35-second commercials, titled "Dad, Look," "Not Flying" and "The Journey," feature a family's exploration of incredible destinations filled with intimate moments that transcend into lasting memories. The advertisements demonstrate the perks of family-friendly safety technologies such as the Santa Fe's Safe Exit Assist and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which are standard on all trim levels.

The redesigned crossover, crucial to boosting Hyundai U.S. sales, began arriving on dealer lots in recent weeks.

The "Dad, Look" spot demonstrates how the 2019 Santa Fe's safety features such as Safe Exit Assist protect children without sacrificing adventure on a family road trip.

In "Not Flying," a family bonds while traveling in the Santa Fe, showing that memories created while driving are better than those made while flying.

In "The Journey," a family finds their way to an incredible, remote location thanks to the advanced HTRAC all-wheel-drive and advanced features in their Santa Fe.

Audiences will "appreciate that the stories feel genuine and relatable to families," said Paul Imhoff, marketing communications for Hyundai Motor America, told Automotive News in an email.

The campaign is supported by a national buy, Michael Stewart, senior group manager, corporate and public relations for Hyundai Motor America, confirmed in an email. The campaign will be part of Hyundai's new sponsorship of the "Sunday Night Football Kickoff" pregame show on NBC. Hyundai wants the Santa Fe to have an inescapable presence across multiple media platforms.

In addition, Hyundai created a series of YouTube videos for consumers to learn more about the Santa Fe, aimed at shoppers who typically check YouTube before visiting the dealer. The 2019 Santa Fe advertisements were produced by Hyundai Motor America's creative agency of record, Innocean.

Hyundai's U.S. sales gained 8.4 percent in August, but remain down 1.3 percent for the year to date. Crossovers could put the automaker back in the black for U.S. sales if August trends continue. Hyundai crossover sales, led by the Tucson, surged 30 percent in August to 27,678 deliveries.