Hyundai Motor officially launched a U.S. marketing campaign on June 1 (U.S. time) targeting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for which the company is the official mobility partner. The campaign theme "Next Starts Now" aims to connect the company's next-generation technology with rising stars in global football.

Reaching this younger generation—whether brand ambassadors in ads or potential consumers in dealer showrooms—is crucial for Hyundai Motor becausethe automotive industry continues to be impacted by multiple factors, including high inflation, high interest rates, and high fuel prices. The brand's advertising around its FIFA partnership is an example of how marketers build brands during difficult economic times.

"I don't really like the term '360-degree' because it sounds dismissive, but there really is so much going on here—it's a massive campaign for us," said Sean Gilpin, Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor America. "When you invest the money required to become a global partner, you have to activate around it to truly capture the full value from such a program."

A 60-second brand film will feature five rising players from around the world, along with the Atlas robot developed by Boston Dynamics, a robotics company under the Hyundai Motor Group. Two 30-second cutdowns will debut during FIFA-related television programming on June 11, the opening day of the World Cup.

The main film will also drive modular content spanning TV, digital, social, experiential, and retail channels. Beyond the ads, this 360-degree integrated marketing effort also includes streaming platform ads, social content, influencer collaborations, out-of-home media, and offline experiences.

This U.S. campaign is an extension of the company's global "Next Starts Now" campaign launched in April. As part of the global rollout, Hyundai has enlisted South Korean national team captain and football star Son Heung-min as a brand ambassador. Last Friday, the brand alsoreleased a social video seriesdocumenting the Atlas robot learning to play football.

Next Steps: Online and Offline

Prior to today's campaign launch, Hyundai Motor hosted a series of youth football clinics in Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, and New Jersey, featuring U.S. football legends Tim Howard and Mia Hamm. These clinics were designed to engage young players and their families, and Gilpin noted that "football in America has truly reached a tipping point."

"Our overall brand purpose is 'Progress for Humanity,' so finding two sports ambassadors and offering such opportunities to real Hyundai families or potential customers was a no-brainer decision," the executive said. Hyundai Motor established 'Progress for Humanity' as its brand philosophy in 2019.

During the World Cup, Hyundai Motor's engagement with fans will continue through TikTok, Meta, and YouTube, with creator collaborations supported by paid and always-on media. On social platforms, the brand will post content including match predictions, player profiles, and celebrations captured by Hyundai Palisade dashcam technology. Additionally, the brand will launch the "Powered by Next" social series spotlighting pioneering cultural figures in sports, fashion, and lifestyle across host cities. Special ad units on TikTok will secure premium in-feed placements for the brand during the tournament, while social algorithms may also push other content to football-interested audiences.

"Social is incredibly important in sports because people are watching, engaging, and reacting," Gilpin said. "We're not trying to insert overly commercial content into someone's feed. What we want to do is bring them into a cultural or event-related context that they might not otherwise have access to without our official global partnership with FIFA."

Beyond social channels, Hyundai Motor's marketing campaign will also come to life in the physical world through FIFA Fan Festival events in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Atlanta, as well as large-scale out-of-home advertising in host cities, stadium concourses, and other venues. The campaign will also extend to dealer events, sponsored merchandise, point-of-sale materials, and customer relationship management.

"These physical experiences are currently undergoing a renaissance. I think there's a certain digital fatigue, so immersive, rich experiences and genuine interactions with people and brands have become very important," Gilpin said. "We strive to be a brand that offers something unique or exceeds people's expectations."

Building Fan Culture Together with Sports

The campaign was developed by advertising agency Innocean USA, with media buying coordinated by Canvas Media. Hyundai Motor's commercial team and its agency partners helped assemble the roster of young talent featured in the campaign, but Gilpin acknowledged that selecting the right athletes before they become famous is getting easier.

"Driven by NIL deals and everything else happening in sports, who the next generation of talent is is no longer a secret in any sports category, whether it's football, basketball, etc.," the executive said. "The commercial eye is increasingly turning to younger age groups, and what we want to do is give these next-generation talents a platform to show who they are and announce to the world that they've arrived."

Hyundai Motor is a brand whose products are geared toward families, and it continues to engage with families where they spend their time. The brand plans to invest in sports, particularly football in the U.S., to connect with today's and tomorrow's consumers.

"Building a brand fan base, whether to improve today's business or future business, is not an either/or choice. We're doing all of it simultaneously," Gilpin said.