THE PROBLEM TO SOLVE

Hyundai planned to launch a new “open-bed utility vehicle”... but we couldn’t call it a truck.

The insight

Focus groups and interviews made it clear that this model wasn’t right for “truck stuff”: hauling and working. But instead of telling people what it was NOT, we needed to show what it WAS.

We heard that SUV owners who were into outdoor adventures loved that this vehicle could give them more space without messing up their interiors, which gave us a new category: the “Sport Adventure Vehicle.”

the solution

Built to enable life’s adventures.

Hyundai created a lifestyle vehicle that opened up new possibilities for the adventurous. Whether you’re mountain biking through the forest or surfing at dawn, this first-of-its-kind vehicle was for you.

Santa Cruz not only happened to be the name for the model, but the adventurous beach city was a perfect spiritual fit for the launch campaign.