Hyundai's Superbowl Commercial Shows How Much the Brand Has Grown

Okay, this past Superbowl goes down as one of the most boring, but there's always at least one commercial that strikes our fancy, and it just happens to be from the folks at Hyundai. This one focuses on their new Shopper Assurance app and program, and it features none other than actor Jason Bateman. His snarky sense of humor works perfectly for the ad known as, "The Elevator". Take a look below. 

It's more like an elevator to hell, showing the various levels that increase in displeasure/horror. "Root Canal" starts things off, and at one of the funniest moments, the "Vegan dinner" elicits a gag reflex from one of the elevator's passengers. Then, the focus turns to car shopping and the typical nightmare car dealer lot experiences. The couple looking for a new car calmly shows Mr. Bateman the Shopper Assurance app, at which point he takes them to the top floor and an almost ethereal atmosphere with a glistening Hyundai Palisade SUV in position.

Wow. The Palisade looks better than we thought in this commercial. 

“We understand that shopping for a new car is typically something people don’t look forward to,” stated the brand's Chief Marketing Officer, Dean Evans. He went on to say, “however, our dealers are using Shopper Assurance as a north star in helping evolve and improve the retail experience. This year’s Super Bowl spot communicates the program in a fun, lighthearted way that viewers will relate to.” They certainly pulled it off, making the commercial both hilarious and informative. 

More than anything, the great execution and production of the commercial, as well as the cutting-edge program it promotes, show that Hyundai truly is one of the fastest-growing and forward-thinking car manufacturers in the world. Rather than focusing on electrification, they're trying to change the car shopping experience, a huge pain for so many car buyers. 

How Shopper Assurance Works

The whole idea behind the Shopper Assurance program is to make car buying easier. Moving from an antiquated dealership model that forces you to spend hours at the dealership, as well as go through the wringer at F&I to talk about extended warranties and rustproofing, Shopper Assurance bypasses all of that and makes the process about as easy as we've seen.

The program launched in February 2018, and 632 of Hyundai dealers nationwide have opted into the program. It represents a whopping 77 percent of the brand's sales volumes in a one year period, a remarkable achievement for a fledgling program. Here are some impressive stats:

• 95 percent loved or liked the purchase process
• 68 percent said it was better than their previous experience
• 71 percent agreed it made them feel more positive about the Hyundai brand
• 68 percent said it made them feel more positive about the Hyundai dealer

We'd use the program just to have a Veloster N delivered to us to whip around.

The four components of the Buyer Assurance Program are:

Transparent Pricing: There’s no trickery here. Dealers must post the market price (MSRP minus incentives and specific dealer discounts) on their websites, so customers know exactly what the market price is for the vehicle.

Flexible Test Drive: The best part of this is that the customer can have the car delivered to their location (home, work, coffee shop, etc.) for the test drive. Customers can schedule it through the app, as well as simply call or via the website.

Streamlined Purchase: Customers can apply for financing, get credit approvals, calculate payment estimates, and get their trade-in priced all online before they even set foot into a Hyundai dealership. This is a real time-saver.

Three-Day Worry-Free Exchange: Customers who have buyer’s remorse or otherwise change their minds can take advantage of the three-day period to return the car in exchange for another new Hyundai vehicle. The car must be inspected and have fewer than 300 miles on it from the date of lease/purchase.