What can make a guy avoid sports through an entire work day so he can cheer for his favorite teams at night? That would be the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, according to one of two new World Cup ads by Hyundai, the competition's official automotive partner.
In the other ad, set in an unspecified Latin country, a mysterious baby boom is explained by a World Cup victory nine months earlier.
The campaign,using the theme #BecauseFutbol, will tout the new Sonata. Ad agency Innocean in Huntington Beach, Calif., is creating the campaign, which will air across ESPN and Univision, which are carrying the World Cup.
Hyundai will also sponsor halftime shows on both networks to fend off auto rivals such as Volkswagen, which will try to ambush its sponsorship by advertising around match telecasts on ESPN.
Hyundai has been No. 1 in customer loyalty for five years, according to research company Brand Keys. The upcoming #BecuaseFutbol spots play off the strategy that only Hyundai can inspire World Cup-level loyalty and passion in car owners, said David Matathia, Hyundai Motor America's director of marketing communications.
This will be ESPN and Univision's final World Cup before Fox Sports and Telemundo take over TV rights in 2018 and 2022. Hyundai's sales rose 4% in April, according to Automotive News Data Center.
