Video: Hyundai’s agency Innocean created this commercial called “Pipe Job.”
Hyundai used attempted suicide to sell its environmentally friendly cars.
That’s the short version of a 1-minute commercial online this week released by the auto manufacturer and its ad agency Innocean. Hyundai pulled the ad today, though copies are still available on the Web.
London copywriter Holly Brockwell shared her thoughts and concerns in a personal blog post today:
“When your ad started to play, and I saw the beautifully shot scenes of taped-up car windows with exhaust feeding in, I began to shake. I shook so hard that I had to put down my drink before I spilt it. And then I started to cry.”
Her father committed suicide in his car when she was a girl.
Not surprisingly, Hyundai received enormous media coverage, though probably not as originally intended for an edgy and viral ad.
- Mediabistro: “London-Based Copywriter Pens Heartfelt/Heartbreaking Open Letter to Innocean, Hyundai”
- The Atlantic: “Hyundai Finally Realizes Suicide Isn’t the Best Way to Sell a Green Car”
