Hyundai hires actor Paul Rudd as pitchman [w/video]

Tue, 09 Sep 2014

The Dude abides, but his deep voice is going to be coming from your TV a little less. After seven years of his earthiness, laid back actor Jeff Bridges is no longer the voice of Hyundai in the brand's advertising. He has been replaced by comedian Paul Rudd who is already narrating the new commercial for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata.

"We were looking for a voice that could be recognizable and relatable to a new generation of car buyers," said Steve Shannon, vice president of Marketing, Hyundai Motor America, in the company's announcement of the deal. "Rudd can be serious, humorous, informative and entertaining all at the same time."

According to Hyundai spokesperson Derek Joyce speaking to Autoblog, the deal with Rudd goes for the next three years. "He's our tier one voice, and that's going to affect tone" in the company's ads," Joyce said. The first spot with Rudd is titled Co-Pilot, and it stars a backseat driver losing out to the Sonata's navigation system and safety features at every turn. Rudd isn't physically in the commercial but does the ending voiceover. The company wouldn't say when the next ad with the new pitchman might debut.

Hyundai joins Lincoln with its hire of Matthew McConaughey as another brand making a big shift in advertising in hopes of appealing to a new group of buyers. Scroll down to watch the commercial and read the company's full announcement.

PAUL RUDD DEBUTS AS NEW VOICE OF HYUNDAI

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 8, 2014 – Hyundai Motor America announces that actor Paul Rudd will serve as the new voice for its national advertising, starting with a new campaign for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata.

"We were looking for a voice that could be recognizable and relatable to a new generation of car buyers," said Steve Shannon, vice president of Marketing, Hyundai Motor America. "Rudd can be serious, humorous, informative and entertaining all at the same time. It's his modern sensibility that we knew would be a perfect match for today's customers."

Rudd's first voice-over includes the new spot "Co-Pilot," which takes a humorous approach towards the back seat driver mentality. As two couples head into San Francisco for a night on the town, they're joined by a man in the back seat. "The backseat driver" is quickly schooled by the Sonata's safety and navigation system as it leads the group to their destination. Creative was developed by Hyundai's agency of record, INNOCEAN USA.

For the last seven years, actor Jeff Bridges was the narrative talent for Hyundai. "Hyundai's relationship with Jeff Bridges is one of the longest in the industry –narrating ads for industry leading vehicles and programs such as Hyundai Assurance," said Shannon. "While we say goodbye to an epic era with Jeff, we are extremely excited to have Paul come on board."

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. Hyundai Blue Link Connected Care provides owners of Hyundai models equipped with the Blue Link telematics system with proactive safety and car care services complimentary for one year with enrollment. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report and in-vehicle service scheduling.

By Chris Bruce