More than $1 million of a thirty-second spot, with steadily declining ratings?
Given its impressive sales growth last year, ongoing through February of this year, (from an admittedly small base of 30,000 units a month) Hyundai’s vehicles are resonating with consumers. Its aggressive advertising campaigns, based on a “Big Voices in Big Places” strategy, which includes high-profile advertising in sporting events, entertainment awards shows and outdoor video boards placement tactics, is working very well thank you.
After taking over from long-time Oscar sponsor General Motors last year as the biggest Oscar advertiser, Hyundai will continue as the exclusive automotive advertiser on this year’s Academy Award ABC network broadcasts and has bought time for eight 0:30-second commercials during the annual homage to movies broadcast.
This could be a title of somewhat dubious distinction unless Oscar’s ratings are on the upswing. Broadcasts of the annual Academy Awards show are down, according to Nielsen, from a high of 55 million homes in 1997, when Titanic won Best Picture, to last year’s 36.3 million homes when … ah, hmm what was that movie … won?
Adding up the cost of $1.2 to $1.5 million per 0:30, Hyundai’s buy of eight spots – seven featuring the new Sonata and one for the award winning Genesis sedan – is impressive. However, there was some not so good news.
Not during our broadcast you don't.
Jeff Bridges, Hyundai’s voiceover since 2007, is nominated for the Best Actor award for his role in Crazy Heart; thus his mellifluous voice could not be used on the commercials.
The logical solution could have been get another, non-Oscar-nominee to rerecord Bridges voiceover, right? Yes, but not this time. The answer was to get not one but several actors to substitute their voice for that of Bridges.
“Praise for this idea,” Joel Ewanick vice president of marketing of Hyundai America, said, “Should go to Chris Perry, Hyundai’s director-marketing communications, for suggesting the idea.” On a conference call with Hyundai, Perry said, “My team working with Special Artists Agency, Jeff Bridges talent management firm, got an enviable package of seven very well known, recognizable, famous actors to substitute in our commercials, record their voiceovers, edit them into our old and new commercials, get them approved and shipped them to ABC just in time.”
In addition, they did it in about a week and half, which is an incredible achievement in Lalaland where it often takes that long to decide where to have lunch.
So whom did Hyundai get?
That's who.
Here are the actors:
- David Duchovny – Golden Globe winner The X Files
- Catherine Keener- two time Oscar nominee Best Supporting Actress
- Kim Basinger – Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actress in LA Confidential
- Michael Madsen – starred in Donny Brasco and Kill Bill
- Richard Dreyfuss – an Oscar winner for Best Actor in The Goodbye Girl
- Mandy Patinkin – Emmy and Tony award winner
- Martin Sheen – Golden Globe winner as PROTUS in West Wing
Five of the commercials have aired previously on the Super Bowl, two are brand new. To view a special video and clip of each commercial, click here.
It's decidely not the Super Bowl in audience and reach
Unless you’ve ever dealt with Hollyweird talent managers, agents and their emissaries, you have no idea of the countless hours of negotiation, posturing, re-posturing, negotiating, haggling, bargaining, wrangling and discussing over numerous phone calls, expensive luncheons, dinners and Laker’s games the vital topic of talent fees.
Talent fees, you see are the mother’s milk that feeds the purveyors of serious celebrity talent. Even in today’s poor economy low six to seven figures are the usual range for A-list celebrity talent in auto commercials. Coincidentally, both Martin Sheen and Richard Dreyfuss have been voiceover talent in commercials for other auto brands.
A different audience composition watches the Super Bowl – equally for the game and the commercials – while movie fans eagerly await the key awards to their favorites. As the major advertiser Hyundai has obtained very good placements and couple “A” position placements their commercials – seven for the new Sonata during the awards broadcast and one for Genesis in the Red Carpet pre-show segment.
“It took seven stars to fill the void, but we’re excited about the cast we’ve lined up for Oscar night and know that viewers will recognize each and every one of them,” said Ewanick, “Having two women do our commercials will add impact, we feel, to our messages.”
If Jeff Bridges wins the Best Actor Award Hyundai does not plan to produce the ubiquitous show-biz congratulatory ads. Ewanick commented, “This is not about Jeff doing our commercials, it’s about his acting and his nominated role. We wish him well.”