The Super Bowl is the advertising industry's grandest stage with viewership that surpasses 100 million people each year, but it's not always the best option for marketers.

Hyundai has shown, with the launch campaigns for the electric Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, that brands can draw plenty of eyeballs without investing in the big game.

Also read: Why Super Bowl auto ad spending is trending down

The Korean automaker, instead of dropping huge money for Super Bowl spots, has been leveraging the NFL's conference championship games at a third of the cost. The combined viewership of those two games rivals that of the Super Bowl two weeks later, Angela Zepeda, chief marketing officer of Hyundai Motor America, said Tuesday in a marketing session during the Automotive Forum.

Zepeda was joined by Allyson Witherspoon, Nissan Motor Co.'s corporate VP of global marketing, brand and merchandising.

The two marketing executives said sporting events provide captive audiences that automakers are eager to reach. While Hyundai has been finding creative ways to generate awareness without the Super Bowl, Nissan has been hawking its lineup in college football and basketball games for years.

Opting out

Hyundai, which hasn't advertised in the Super Bowl since 2020, was once a regular in the game and used it for ambitious productions. But the automaker said the decision to skip the game has paid off.

In 2022, Hyundai debuted its “History of Evolution” ad starring Jason Bateman during the NFL's conference championships. The lighthearted spot conveyed that the Ioniq 5 represented the advancement of electric vehicles.

Hyundai pushed the Ioniq 5 campaign further by crafting an expansive digital strategy on TikTok, the video-sharing social platform. It enlisted influencers to make videos reacting to its Ioniq 5 commercial.

Going into 2023, Hyundai was focused on showcasing the Ioniq 6 and opted out of the Super Bowl again. It focused its attention on the NFL championship games with another celebrity-driven campaign, this time with actor Kevin Bacon and his daughter, Sosie. The two have starred in several TikTok videos highlighting the Ioniq 6.

“The history of [the Ioniq] has really set the tone for where Hyundai is as a leader in electrification,” Zepeda said, “and we've been very lucky with what that vehicle has done for us.”

NCAA connection

Nissan's long-running “Heisman House” campaign, featuring former winners of college football's most prestigious award, is a rich source of content each year.

In addition, Nissan has tried to keep the brand top of mind during the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments that engulf fan attention for several weeks.

Nissan continued its “Road 2” campaign leading up to the men's and women's Final Fours this year with six new commercials spotlighting the brand's lineup, including the electric Ariya crossover, which it declared the “Official EV of March Madness.”

The automaker also extended its outreach on social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

“I think the thing that is really interesting about sports is you're tapping into the consumer's passion,” Witherspoon said. “You also have a captive audience.”