On October 16, 2023, Disney will be 100 years old. The entertainment giant chose Hyundai as its first and exclusive US sponsor for its centennial celebrations, also known as the Disney 100. The partnership means a year of special events, all-new content, merchandise and advertising
The genesis of the Disney and Hyundai partnership
Disney’s role in revolutionizing entertainment began with its greatest strength: storytelling. According to History.com, Walt Disney and his brother Roy co-founded the company in 1923 and sold Alice in Wonderland. In 1928, Disney created Mickey Mouse Steamboat Willieand the brand became an eminent source of beloved stories.
Hyundai chief marketing officer Angela Zepeda told Auto Evolution that Disney is a brand that creates an emotional connection with every interaction. Hyundai values customer experiences and the stories people share. They want to tap into the excitement, magic and inspiration that Disney inspires.
Hyundai and Disney have partnered successfully in the past. In 2021, they created a multi-series campaign featuring characters from ESPN, ABC and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series was for Hyundai Tucson’s 2022 “Ask Everything” campaign. Both brands were eager to collaborate again.
The “Magic in the journey” for the 100th anniversary of Disney
According to Variety, in their 2023 advertising alliance, the two brands ran a Hyundai ad during the Oscars called “There’s Magic in the Ride.” The commercial combined real-life scenes, Disney characters and Hyundai vehicles. Zepeda said the goal was to connect with the audience in a very emotional way. Hyundai wants to show its audience how it cares about them and how the brand can affect consumers in their everyday lives.
Hyundai submitted a wish list of Disney characters to use in the commercial, but the entertainment company had to negotiate each appearance. One of the reasons was that the characters could be involved in other upcoming projects. Another was because Disney is pretty strict with their intellectual property. However, the brand was willing to lend characters like Mickey, Donald Duck and more.
Every juxtaposition of a Disney scene and a Hyundai scene was symbolic. For example, a group of friends uses a projector from the Ioniq 5’s two-way vehicle-to-charger system to see Steamboat Willie like a drive-through movie.
The second generation of the Ioniq arrived in 2021. It has a rear-engine configuration, rear-wheel drive, or a dual-motor version. For the dual motor, there is an electric motor on each axle and all-wheel drive. The Ioniq 5 is fully electric and is more prominent in the commercial sector than other vehicles.
A flash of Aladdin on his magic carpet is a metaphor for the fluidity with which the Tucson glides. The car has petrol engines, hybrids and plug-in hybrids with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.
The spot also features Santa Cruz. It is a Sports Adventure Vehicle (SAV) with 2.5 liter L4 engines. It comes with or without a turbocharger, an eight-speed Dutch clutch automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.
The Palisade represents how well it can combine families and people of different generations charm. Hyundai updated the vehicle in 2022. It has all-wheel drive and a 3.8-liter V6 engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
A momentous year for Disney and Hyundai
Hyundai’s 2023 vehicles have already garnered major accolades. Cars.com included five 2023 Hyundai vehicles on its “Best Value New Car List”: Kona SE, Elantra SE, Santa Cruz SE, Kona EV and Tucson PHEV (plug-in electric vehicle) SEL. MotorTrend ranked the Elantra Hybrid #1 on its Compact Hybrid Sedan list.
Hyundai is also starting to release the 2024 Ioniq 6 in limited quantities. It’s more battery efficient than the Ioniq 5 and its interior styling is different. It has eco-friendly materials in its cabin, such as recycled plastics, fishing net carpets and leather dyed with linseed oil for comfort. Thanks to its new launches and partnership with Disney, 2023 will continue to be an exciting year for Hyundai.
