Hyundai gleeful over plans for Super Bowl ad blitz

Hyundai is returning to the Super Bowl in a big way this year, John Krafcik, Hyundai’s president and CEO said today.

In total, Hyundai has purchased three minutes worth of commercials that will air
before and during Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5.

The Korean automaker’s plans include two or three pre-game commercials, two
commercials during the second half of the game and a 60-second spot before the
kickoff.

“It gives me goosebumps,” Krafcik said of the possibilities for the 60-second spot.
Hyundai has advertised for several years in a row during the Super Bowl, but its
commercials have tended to emphasize its products and promotional programs.
This year, Krafcik said, the company wants to have more fun.

“I think we’d like to be a little more memorable,” Krafcik said after a
presentation this morning at the company’s technical center near Ann Arbor.
However, he also said Super Bowl ads often tread a fine line between being
effective and being too cute.

Volkswagen, for example, received high praise last year for a Super Bowl ad that
featured a mini-Darth Vader. The ad was memorable because of the Darth Vader
character, but many people don’t remember that it was a Volkswagen advertisement, Krafcik said.

Hyundai, which first began making cars in the U.S. in 2005, has seen its U.S.
employment increase to 5,199 in the United States.

Hyundai’s U.S. operations contribute a total of 94,391 private sector jobs, with $5.9 billion in annual wages and salaries, according to the Center for Automotive
Research in Ann Arbor.