N Challenge

BACK TO OUR WORK

CLIENT:

Hyundai

COMPLETED:

2024

CATEGORY:

SOCIAL MEDIA

“EVs are boring”. That was the accusation being thrown at all EVs. But we know all EVs aren’t made equal, and fortunately, Hyundai had the best of the bunch in the form of Hyundai IONIQ 5N. Through sim racing and on-track experiences, we drew comparisons that helped this particular EV go from being the best of a bad bunch to the most fun you can have behind the wheel.

We needed to persuade sceptical media and content creators that Hyundai’s performance EV matched the fun they were used to in the driving seat of non-electric cars.

the challenge

POSITION HYUNDAI IONIQ 5N AS THE MOST FUN EV

THE SOLUTION

FROM VIRTUAL TO IRL

Getting into the details of the car, we spotted two features that drew parallels from the world of sim racing. The first was N Grin Shift, mirroring the nitrous button on many racing games. This mode increases horsepower and responsiveness for a short period. The second was one of three pre-loaded ‘engine sounds’ that drivers could choose, which was lifted directly from Hyundai N Vision Gran Turismo, a concept car created for the racing game Gran Turismo 5.

This led us to create the N Challenge, a call to action for media and creators to earn their right to drive IONIQ 5N at Brands Hatch by taking first to the virtual track and hitting a target lap time at Hyundai N’s European home at the iconic Nürburgring.

THE execution

MAKING THE FUTURE OF EVS FUN

We gathered a mix of journalists, gaming creators and auto creators to take on the challenge. We took over Sky Guild Gaming Centre in London for the gaming phase, with a hotly contested leaderboard and a target time smashed by all involved.

Next, we were onto Brands Hatch, and the same participants drove the real thing round its famous track, experiencing a drive unlike any other, and quickly realising the fun Hyundai had transferred from the virtual to the real world.

A broad mix of creators kept content varied, hitting different audiences and levels of interest in cars, but all with the same message: the future is fun.