Hyundai picks small agency for big ad project

Hyundai Motor Group has picked a small advertising firm “Creative Air” to develop the group’s corporate image as part of its efforts for shared growth with smaller firms, officials said Thursday.

The Korean auto giant, which used to give such large-scale ad projects to its own in-house advertising agency Innocean Worldwide, announced in April it would share 65 percent of annual orders, worth 120 billion won ($101 million), with outside firms. The latest deal is worth 8 billion won.

Following the announcement, the group has carried out individual marketing and advertising events together with smaller, non-affiliated firms. The latest project is its largest ever.

The finalist Creative Air, ranked around 40th in terms of sales, has secured 34 percent of the agency’s total 23.8 billion won in orders last year by winning the single Hyundai deal.

“Adding Hyundai Motor to our business portfolio will be a big boost for our brand awareness and competitiveness,” said a Creative Air official.

Hyundai plans to offer a 7 billion won ad project via competitive bidding in September. In the latter half alone, the group said it was planning to share orders worth 15 billion won with smaller, outside firms.

“We didn’t specify any requirements for the bidding and the finalist was a small agency,” said a Hyundai official. “We will continue efforts for fair competition and to support small but creative firms.”

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)