Campaign Overview
Our challenge was to demonstrate that Hyundai is redefining efficiencies, not just in the cars they make, but in everything they do. Current consumer perception is that they are affordable vehicles but lack quality and design. We needed to educate people that Hyundai's vehicles are not only affordable but dependable and beautifully designed, and most importantly, are leading the industry in fuel-efficient technologies. To do this we created an entire commercial campaign that yielded 96% less CO2 emission than a traditional production of the same scope, and by investing in carbon offset credits for the remaining 4%, made the entire production with absolutely no carbon footprint.
We launched the campaign with a TV spot featuring the Sonata Hybrid, illustrating the efficiencies that inspired us to make a commercial with no carbon footprint in the first place. To do this, we created the illusion of driving when in fact, the background and environment were human and solar-powered.
The Sonata Turbo's fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engine performs like a V6, so we created a TV spot that gave the illusion of speed and power demonstrating that powerful can still be responsible.
The Tucson is the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid SUV, so we created the illusion of driving in multiple environments without ever turning on the car. Because the most important environment is the one we're trying to protect.
One of a series of mini behind-the-scenes videos filmed over the course of the production to show all the steps taken to ensure the campaign was not only incredibly environmentally responsible, but in the end yielded no carbon footprint.
We created a mini world within a YouTube brand channel, that actually became greener with every unique visit to the channel by investing in carbon offset credits, and quickly offsetting 250 tons of CO2. In addition to housing the campaign's commercials, the brand channel also included a series of behind-the-scenes videos that highlighted various aspects of the commercial production. Users were also presented with a series of videos hosted by a green expert, which featured different ways to live a more environmentally responsible lifestyle on a day-to-day basis. Finally, the site also included "drive smart" videos with driving tips on how to increase your car's fuel efficiency.
To launch the brand channel, Hyundai took over the main YouTube homepage with rich-media banners that incorporated the look and feel from the TV spots. Together, the banner ads received over 50,000 click throughs - a rate well above the Canadian auto average - accounting for more than half of the traffic to the brand channel at the time.
From recycling and composting to transportation and the banning of plastic water bottles on set, everything was taken into consideration when calculating the production's environmental impact. In the end, the Live Smart shoot produced 96% less carbon dioxide than a traditional shoot, and by offsetting the remaining 4% with carbon credits, we created a campaign with no carbon footprint.
We compared our shoot to a traditional one of the same scope, and the numbers are carefully calculated and presented in the efficiency report above.
We created a Christmas card for Hyundai that supports the Live Smart campaign's focus on efficiency. Made from recycled material and completely recyclable, this card is especially efficient in that it is multipurpose - it's not just a card, but can also be pulled apart and reused as gift tags.
