New Hyundai Campaign Casts Childhood Cancer Survivors As Warriors
Hyundai has donated 2,000 gowns to children’s hospitals in Southern California and plans to distribute additional gowns nationwide, Gilpin said, with its dealers matching the donations. The company is also distributing handprint decals to Hyundai owners and new-vehicle buyers, giving them a physical way to signal their support and raise awareness of the campaign.
The campaign is also stretching beyond conventional paid media, with partners including NBC and Amazon expanding Hyundai’s reach. NBC will air the Hope on Wheels ad during Sunday night football broadcasts, while Amazon is supporting the effort through a “Stream It Forward” program that Hyundai says will generate approximately $500,000 in additional contributions based on views during the campaign period.
“We don’t necessarily have to make this about Hope on Wheels,” Gilpin said of conversations with media partners. “We just want this about pediatric cancer.”
Even the Jonas Brothers have joined the effort, partnering with Hyundai on their podcast and recently visiting a fan in a children’s hospital.
That approach marks a notable evolution for a program that Hyundai has supported for 28 years. The company has long used the initiative to fund research and support patients, but Gilpin said it has historically stopped short of making Hope on Wheels a major marketing platform. The “Little Warrior” campaign changes that while deliberately keeping the brand in the background.
“There’s not a car in this commercial because this commercial is not about our product,” Gilpin said. “It’s just our mission as a brand.”