Humerous Boston-themed Super Bowl ad to highlight new Hyundai Sonata
Entertaining commercials are always a highlight of Super Bowl television broadcasts, and during the first quarter of the upcoming big game on Feb. 2 in Miami, an ad for the all-new 2020 Hyundai Sonata will continue that tradition.
The ad will begin with comedian Rachel Dratch serving as Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz's dialect coach, helping to refine his Boston accent.
Hyundai's Super Bowl commercial will mark the beginning of the national advertising campaign for the 2020 Sonata. Hyundai describes the Sonata as its longest-standing and most successful model.
The automaker says the all-new version of the Sonata offers a “bold, distinctive design and numerous convenient and safety technologies.”
“It is a fully transformed vehicle that showcases a sporty four-door-coupe look and represents Hyundai's new focus on creating an emotional appeal using proportion, styling and technology,” Hyundai said in a news release.
In Hyundai’s Super Bowl commercial for the vehicle, which will air on FOX, Chris Evans and John Krasinski also headline the cast. Evans, who stars in commercial and independent films and an upcoming Apple+ show that he produced, is making his first appearance in a Super Bowl commercial.
Krasinski has written, starred in and directed numerous TV shows and movies. Dratch was an SNL cast member and guest star on several popular TV shows.
Ortiz, nicknamed “Big Papi,” was a three-time World Series champion and a 10-time All-Star.
The final ad will make its world premiere during the Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2020 special on the CBS Television Network on Jan. 27, from 9 to 10 p.m. ET/PT. It will also include a behind-the-scenes segment on the making of the spot.
"Casting is such a critically important part of the ad, and we found four celebrities who worked perfectly together and made our creative concept come to life brilliantly," said Hyundai Motor America chief marketing officer Angela Zepeda.
She continued, “Combine that talent with our director Bryan Buckley and the team at our ad agency INNOCEAN, and we think we have another winner on our hands. We just finished testing the spot and it performed exceptionally well. We can’t wait to release it on CBS’ primetime special and show everyone a little bit of what went into the making of the spot.”
Bryan Buckley has directed more than 60 Super Bowl commercials and has received the Directors Guild of America award, multiple Emmys, and more than 50 Cannes Lions. Creativity Magazine also named him one of the 50 Best Creative Minds in the last 25 years.
His production company, Hungry Man, produced the spot.
INNOCEAN USA’s executive creative director Barney Goldberg said good commercials start with a strong script.
“And we went through hundreds to get to this one,” he said.
He continued, “Obviously, humor is always a great way to disarm the viewer and grab their attention. This particular idea focuses on the iconic Boston accent. It was important to us to make sure everything was authentic. Shooting in Boston instead of a backlot and casting Boston icons really paid off for us in this spot. We even threw in a few local ‘Easter eggs’ for anyone paying close attention. I think we really captured the feel of the city as well as highlighting a great feature on the new Sonata."
Hyundai said the latest Sonata is the first model to be based on Hyundai's new vehicle platform, which it says brings improvements in overall driving performance.
According to the automaker, the car’s use of an application of advanced technologies boosts comfort, convenience and active safety.
Features include a new Digital Key, which the company says allows the vehicle to be unlocked, started and driven without a physical key.