Hyundai is one of the car manufacturers that has gained ground with Hispanics in recent years. And the Korean brand does not want to stop growing among consumers in our community. Therefore, hand in hand with its traditional sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai is launching a bilingual campaign, in English and Spanish, to promote Kona 2026 among Latinos with the title “No Inventes”.

Sean Gilpin, Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor America, spoke with LA OPINIÓN about Hyundai's strategy to connect with Hispanic audiences through soccer.

Question: Why this campaign now and why Kona?

Answer: The Kona is a very important vehicle for our sales and represents a key segment, especially considering the importance of affordability for all consumers, regardless of language or cultural background. It's also a car we wanted to highlight because it has many features that appeal to the next generation. Our general market campaign, “Next Starts Now,” reflects Hyundai's desire to be a brand that helps this new generation improve their lives through technology, access to products and safety features that make their experiences more enjoyable.

Our “Don't Invent” campaign fully reflects that. The idea was always to create campaigns based not only on translations, but on real cultural insights. “Don't Inventes” is a phrase that conveys surprise, like “Wow, it can't be! Is this available in this car?” The Kona embodies just that, with features like segment-first self-parking and built-in Wi-Fi. We wanted to offer a vehicle that would surprise with everything it includes.

Q: And you have been working for a few years with the López Negrete Communications agency to refocus on the Hispanic public.

A: That's right. In that same period we also partnered with Liga MX, becoming the official automotive partner. Live sports are part of our overall strategy. Sports audiences often consume events in real time, as they are happening, and there is a lot of passion and excitement when people watch sports. So pairing that audience in that emotional moment with content that can make them laugh or make them feel something powerful, like we did with our Palisade ad, which featured a multi-generational family and a big professional moment, creates an emotional connection. All of these ads are designed to connect emotionally with the audience and stay loyal to our brand.

Q: Regarding the language and the way of addressing Hispanics, English vs. Spanish, what do you think? Do you feel it is necessary to be in both languages?

A: It's not really a matter of perception. I think the reality we see in our dealerships is that many sales involve several generations or particular family relationships around the purchase of the car. Maybe an uncle asks his nephew, who speaks English and Spanish, to help him with technology. The reality is that conversations when deciding to purchase a car, in many cases, are bilingual or constantly change between both languages. That is the intention behind this campaign: to reflect what really happens, not something based on a sensation. It's more about representing reality.

We have some high-performing dealerships in California and Texas that are specifically focused on being able to handle bilingual conversations. The loyalty they build with the community through those great experiences makes more people want to buy vehicles from those dealerships. This is simply a natural reflection within the campaign's creativity.

Q: Let's talk about football. The World Cup is just a few weeks away. Hyundai has been an official sponsor of FIFA for years, right?

A: Yes.

Q: I guess it's not a cheap sponsorship, considering it's FIFA. Why do you consider it important to be there?

A: First and foremost, Hyundai is a global leader. Sometimes in America we don't realize how big Hyundai is in the rest of the world. We are the third largest automotive company in the world as a Hyundai group. And it's not just about vehicles; when you go to Korea or other countries, Hyundai is a leader in many areas. FIFA gives you that global reach, and I think where you are says a lot about who you are as a brand. Being present on this premium stage, where the whole world is watching, is very important for us. Furthermore, as a family business, we highly value our alliances and relationships, and we tend to maintain them for the long term. FIFA is a relationship we have had for a long time. We know how to activate this alliance and how to speak to football fans because we are fans too.

Q: For this new campaign, instead of focusing on already established or professional players, they chose teenagers...

A: Yes. The idea is that we have technology today—like our Atlas robot, which we introduced at CES—that will really improve the lives of the next generation. So we thought: “Let's make a parallel with talents that we know will be future stars and players in future World Cups.” We wanted to give them a platform to say, “I'm here now too and I deserve to be recognized.”

These young people were very excited to be part of this campaign; You can feel that energy when watching the commercial. They don't lack confidence. They know they can play very well and we are very excited to be part of this campaign. There will also be additional content on social networks and other extensions derived from the main spot that highlight their talents very well. I'm sure we'll see several of them beyond this commercial, in future important games.

Q: And apart from this campaign, what other big activations do you have planned around the World Cup?

A: We started generating excitement across the United States with soccer clinics. In April we began visiting the main cities where games will be played and we organized clinics with Mia Hamm, Team USA legend, and Tim Howard, another great figure in American soccer. We wanted to find players who were really excited to be ambassadors for the sport.

When the kids arrive so excited, we wanted to have people who would bring energy and excitement to all these cities, but also knowledge, not only for the kids, but also for the parents, because they are the ones who drive our Hyundais to take their kids to the games every weekend. There is a lot of pressure on parents to involve their children in clubs and competitions throughout the year. So having both parents and children interact with such intelligent figures and excellent football ambassadors was a great opportunity. We've done this in major markets across the country and this weekend in Los Angeles will be the last event. I'm in California, so I'll go too. It was our way of generating excitement alongside people who really know the game. These families love soccer and play it every weekend. We invited them to participate, to prepare for the World Cup and we also gave them promotional items and official merchandise, which was excellent.

Additionally, we installed huge billboards on streets in major cities. When you arrive at LAX, you can see large screens on the buildings along the 405 freeway; There are also huge immersive displays in Times Square. All this to remind people that Hyundai is an official partner of FIFA, but also that the World Cup is coming to their city and that we bring the future of technology and talent there.

June 11 will be the full launch of the campaign. There we will have television commercials, social networks and an impressive group of influencers and content partners. Some of the content will include real-time reactions to matches, outcome predictions, and lots of material strategically positioned on TikTok thanks to significant investments we made in that platform.