Hyundai raises the content marketing bar with its first
short drama
5 minute read
Korea has a strong archery tradition, and its teams are some of the best in the world. Hyundai has long supported the Korea Archery National Team through innovative training technology. Now, we are taking aim at a new target—the cinema. Our coming K-movie cooperation film and short drama series put archery in a unique spotlight.
From Olympic gold to the silver screen
As archery enthusiasts, we know that every tournament has exciting stories and surprises. We thought it was time to tell our own tales with two new cinematic highlights, the K-film 'Amazon Bullseye' and the short drama 'The Arrow of Cupid.'
'Amazon Bullseye' hits the funny bone
Our upcoming K-movie, 'Amazon Bullseye' is a comedy/human film set for release at the end of October 2024. The movie tells the story of the former archery medalist Jin Bong, who travels to the remote Amazon Rain Forest in search of Indigenous bowmen with whom he plans to form a national archery team.
A short drama created in collaboration with renowned actors and writers
We have teamed up with the head film writer, Bae Se-young, and lead actors Ryu Seung-ryong and Jin Seon-kyu to create an engaging 'short drama' series.
Short drama is a format familiar to users of platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts and caters to the growing preference for fast-paced narratives and brief content, reflecting the latest content consumption trends. This short drama consists of four episodes, each lasting about one minute, whose purpose is to present audiences with entertaining drama vignettes that set themselves apart from standard advertisements. Short-form dramas have gained popularity in global markets, including the US, China, and Japan, becoming one of Korea’s most popular content formats among Gen Z audiences.
The short drama 'The Arrow of Cupid'
Cupid tries to go undercover in this short drama series to steal secrets. The opening scene shows the main actor Ryu playing the role of a detective whose serious yet subtly humorous expression grabs the viewer's attention. He is soon joined by the co-lead Jin, whose cupid costume instantly breaks the tension and sets the scene for more laughs. One of the aims of the short drama series is to blur the boundary between art and advertising, with viewers unsure of whether they just saw an ad or not. That is precisely the reaction we have in mind.
Given the ongoing decline in ad viewership and the growing resistance to commercial content, the goal was to present Hyundai's archery technology in an organic way within an amusing storyline that stands out among conventional communicative means. Building on our prior experience with the snack movie 'Night Fishing', we have also applied innovative content marketing strategies to the film's spin-off, continuously exploring and developing new content genres. Through this short drama, our goal is to engage both domestic film enthusiasts and archery fans by offering organic snackable content, rather than resembling traditional advertising.
But why 'Cupid'?
When one thinks of 'Cupid,' the image of a bow and arrow naturally comes to mind. In this drama, Jin's role as Cupid is a playful interpretation of archery as a sport. Unsuccessfully, Cupid tries to sneak into the training camp of the Korea Archery National Team—renowned for using Hyundai Motor Group's cutting-edge archery R&D technology to learn their archery skills. However, his covert mission is quickly uncovered, leading to an interrogation by detective Ryu. Through the ensuing humorous exchanges between Cupid and the detective, the advertisement entertainingly introduces key archery technologies.
Two big shots get back together
The movie 'Amazon Bullseye' scores big in the 'star department' with the reunion of lead actors Ryu Seung-ryong and Jin Sun-kyu, both of whom previously delivered stellar performances together in the 2019 hit Korean film ‘Extreme Job’, which attracted over 10 million viewers at the box office. Their collaboration in 'Amazon Bullseye' and unique chemistry promises to captivate audiences once again. The screenplay was written by Bae Se-young, who is renowned for her work in acclaimed Korean comedy movies such as Extreme Job and Intimate Strangers. Her talent for comedic dialogue is well-known and gives 'Amazon Bullseye' its 'laugh guarantee.'
Hyundai branding as easter eggs
As a proud official sponsor of the World Archery Championships, Hyundai branding is carefully proportioned throughout the story. For instance, in the final climatic scene, where the Amazon archers display their talent, The all-new SANTA FE model is placed almost like an Easter egg.
Hitting new targets
Hyundai's collaboration with the film 'Amazon Bullseye' and the creation of the spin-off short drama 'The Arrow of Cupid' are our entertaining approaches to introducing archery R&D contributions to a broader audience.
We hope this innovative approach will open new creative avenues to connect with people for some storytelling fun. Enjoy two new Hyundai cinematic highlights, and don't miss the movie 'Amazon Bullseye' and the short drama 'The Arrow of Cupid.'
Follow @hyundai_kor on YouTube for film sneak peeks.