Dive Brief:

• Hyundai launched a marketing campaign, “Best of Both Worlds,” in support of its Sante Fe and Tuscon hybrid vehicles, per a press release.
• Two ad spots and two long-form videos feature a French cowboy who lives in Paris, Texas and drives Hyundai's hybrids. A separate campaign, “He Got Money,” focuses on fuel savings and is targeted at an African-American audience.
• The campaigns, from Innocean USA and Culture Brands, respectively, come as the automaker has seen hybrid vehicle sales increase 44% so far in 2025, despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty.

Dive Insight:

Hyundai is going all-in on its hybrid vehicles with a pair of ads that mix humor and value propositions like performance and savings. The automaker has seen a big boost in hybrid vehicle sales, with total hybrid vehicle sales jumping 5% in May, per details shared with Marketing Dive.

The “Best of Both Worlds” effort focuses on Jean-Luc, a cowboy born in Paris, France who lives in Paris, Texas. A 30-second “Cowboy” spot which debuted on June 8 during the NBA finals focuses on the Sante Fe Hybrid and shows how the titular character can have “more cheese” on his plate by saving on fuel. “Mosey” focuses on the Tucson Hybrid and will air later this month. 

In addition, a long-form YouTube spot has a cinematic feel, albeit one drawn more from Westerns and not Wim Wenders’ art house classic “Paris, Texas.” However, the campaign was filmed on location in the Texas town, and Hyundai will donate an estimated $30,000 from production to support local schools in the community. Created by Innocean with media by Canvas, “Best of Both Worlds” will run across broadcast, digital and programmatic platforms, with custom digital content on TikTok, Meta, Reddit, YouTube and beyond.

In a separate but related effort, Hyundai continued its series of “Okay Hyundai” ads with “He Got Money.” The 30-second ad focuses on a character who owns a hybrid and the gossip about his seemingly extravagant lifestyle, which — in a nod to ongoing price pressures — includes a fridge full of eggs.

“He Got Money” will run across broadcast and digital platforms in both 15- and 30-second formats and will be featured in influencer partnerships. The ad, which is targeted at an African-American audience, features Kathleen Bradley — best known as Mrs. Parker from the cult classic "Friday” — and is from Hyundai’s African American agency of record, Culture Brands.

“‘He Got Money’ shows how the Tucson Hybrid empowers drivers to enjoy more of what matters—style, comfort, and community—thanks to real savings at the pump,” said Erik Thomas, director of experiential and multicultural marketing, Hyundai Motor America, in a press release.

Hyundai's increased hybrid sales follow the automaker becoming the launch partner of Amazon Autos late last year. One global auto brand moved approximately $80 million in annual ad spend from The Trade Desk to Amazon’s ad platform by the end of Q1, partially due to its ability to sell its cars via the online retailer, Adweek reported. Hyundai is currently the only automaker that has that functionality on Amazon.