Hyundai Made the Year's Most Lunatic Car Ads, With Help From Tom Kuntz

There's so much horsepower in Hyundai's new i30N model that it'll literally turn you into a horse, says an oddball new campaign from R/GA London and, naturally, director Tom Kuntz. A bizarre 60-second launch ad draws from three shorter dream-sequence spots to promote the automaker's "N" line of performance cars, with everything but the vehicle shot in black and white. [kickout id="1"] In the weirdest of the set, by far, a nude male model approaches a hot tub as schlocky rock guitar plays in the background. A woman whispers "N." The guy puts on a pair of high-end headphones and climbs in. "The power of horses," says the voiceover, as an engine revs and a stallion gallops—and the i30N zips—across the screen. A strange fit overtakes the man as the jacuzzi-cauldron begins to boil. He grows a pony tail, and his face gets longer. Before long, he's got a fully equine face, and hooves for hands—like a quarter centaur in reverse. [kickout id="2"] A second :30, similarly styled as a sendup of atmospheric luxury fashion tropes, features another shirtless man inhaling a new cologne, "L'eau de burnt rubber," and apparently becoming addicted to it. A third features another man, in the same vein, goofily wind gusting his own face with a giant hair dryer. [kickout id="3"] [kickout id="4"] The overall effort, called "Feel the Feeling," is meant to "subvert the clichés of luxury advertising while using its recognizable aesthetic," according to Hyundai's press release. "The approach is designed to feel 'ironic premium'; a tongue[-stuck-firmly]-in-cheek poke at automotive and luxury brands taking themselves too seriously, with the line 'Feel the feeling' encapsulating this playful approach." "It is our mission for more people to enjoy the mischievous grin you get when driving an i30N, and these films are just the start," says Mr. Minsoo Kim, head of the automaker's marketing division. "Performance car advertising has been the same for decades and has become out of touch with what people really want. Not anymore. This campaign isn't like anything you've seen before." Adds James Temple, R/GA's chief creative officer for EMEA, "Our aim with this campaign is to stand out of the crowd, to shake up the staid formula of car advertising, and most important, to have some fun with viewers. We want people to rethink their views of Hyundai as a practical, compromise choice, to a brand which shows people through the power of 'N' that they make cars that are fun to drive and which aren't like anything else out there." In other words, the concept is willfully zany, and requires an awful lot of explanation. It also risks trying too hard, though it's not unentertaining—with the horse spot in particular pushing things far enough to qualify as truly absurd. The i30N is what's known as a hot hatch—a powerful hatchback—and Hyundai is clearly reaching for a young male demographic with off-the-wall humor it hopes will speak to them (though the vehicle will not be available in the U.S.). The horse-headphone ad is particularly apt, too, because the car itself will include an "electronic sound generator" for "extra acoustic drama to match the mood of the driver," reports Jalopnik. Because, as is apparently common with similar cars, the engine doesn't vroom loud enough on its own to be truly satisfying … arguably true of the commercials, too. CREDITS Hyundai Motor Company Steve Seongbong Lim: Team Leader, Brand Communication Team Cheol Jung: Manager, Brand Communication Team Jake Jaesun Lee: Manager, Brand Communication Team Cera YounKyung Noh: Assistant Manager, Brand Communication Team Agency: R/GA James Temple: EVP, Chief Creative Officer Simon Wassef: Executive Strategy Director Rodrigo Sobral: Executive Creative Director Mark Fairbanks: Group Creative Director Edwin Latchford: Creative Director Dan Northcote-Smith: Senior Art Director Nick Moss: Senior Copywriter Charlie Smith: Group Account Director Taraneh Khosrowshahi: Executive Producer Alison Cummins: Executive Producer Jessica Zogaib: Senior Producer Matt Deeming: Editor Matias Alvarez: Associate Design Director Mary Lynch: Production Assistant Production: MJZ London Tom Kuntz: Director Darius Khondji: Director of Photography Lara Baldwin: Senior Producer Fiona Martin: Production Manager Asylum Models: Models provided by John Kirby: Music Composer Editors: The Whitehouse Russell Icke: Senior Editor Iain Whitewright: Editor Grading: Company 3 New York Stefan Sonnenfeld: Senior colourist Post Production and Visual effects: The Moving Picture Company London Lisa Vaughan: Producer Paul Wilmot: SFX Artist Simon Holden: SFX Artist Sound Studio: 750 MPH Sam Ashwell: Editor