Hyundai
KONA
The Frontier of Filmmaking
Insight: You are what you drive.
Hyundai is pushing the boundaries of progressive, globally-aware automobile manufacturing. With the launch of the next generation KONA in three special variants across Electric, Hybrid and Performance, Hyundai is reinventing the future of urban mobility.
When personal ambitions need to balance with social consciousness, the Hyundai KONA’s spectrum of sustainable technology and suite of innovations ensure a driving experience that moulds to your world, no matter what you live for.
Idea: Go to the frontier of filmmaking, to help audiences find the future-perfect Hyundai KONA.
Whether you are a future-focused tech-savant, an eco-conscious commuter or simply a chaser of thrills - whatever you live for, there is a Hyundai KONA for you.
To underpin the futuristic technology under the hood, Hyundai and AKQA brought in cutting-edge production to craft four films that spoke to different notions of living in the future, artfully framing a suite of innovative features and unique aesthetic details as sparks of inspiration.
The films are set in a surreal metropolitan world, seemingly pulled from the dreams of the most imaginative urban explorer. The city’s lights transform into thoughtful murmurations that ripple, cascade and shimmer around the KONA, as if reacting to our protagonist’s demonstrations of new technology.
The KONA keeps pace with your vision of city driving, and the city rises up to embrace it.
Designed entirely in Unreal Engine, four expansive abstractions of European city centres were created and then sunk into ethereal time zones. Rendered awash in beautiful suggestions of light and space, these cityscapes became the backdrops for innovative storytelling.
The films were shot in a state-of-the-art LED volumetric stage, and combined with synchronised camera crane movements, animations and mirrored projections. This allowed for dynamic and surreal plays on perspective, captured directly in camera.
From city lights to clouds, every detail and element in the backdrop was custom built and editable in realtime, giving the team the ability to manipulate, render, and animate new elements and angles on demand to accommodate spontaneous ideas, as they occurred on set.
Alongside the human touch of artistic direction by the renowned filmmaker Emile Rafael, the films’ advanced production embraced the boundless possibilities of cutting-edge virtual production techniques. These techniques were deftly applied to realise the KONA’s message of living unlimited and the promise of personal driving freedom.
“The films celebrate the beauty of innovation in a clean, sleek and distinctive manner. They are proof that futuristic thinking should not stop with the product itself, but should encompass everything we do, product demonstrations included. We are very proud of the results!”
Andrea Razeto, Head of Brand Strategy & Campaign, Hyundai Europe
Credits
Agency
AKQA
Location
Dubai & Amsterdam
Creative Direction
Taraka 'TK' Tennakoon
Collaborators
AKQA: Simon Reid - Executive Creative Director, Savio Dias - Motion Designer, Leo Tapang - 3D & Motion Designer, Cynthia Chabu, Johnwalf Brigoli - Production
Future Frank: Emile Rafael - Director, Miguel Teixeira
Ready Set Studios: Nils Pauwels, Gijs de Groot, Robert Okker
Glassworks (Post-production)
Results & Impact
A new era of conscious driving for everyone.
The films premiered on digital and social media platforms, with a series of interactive content that deep dive into each key technology and aesthetic detail.
The artful showcase is pivotal - not just in increasing awareness of the innovative new KONA generation as Hyundai’s flagship urban SUV - but prompts a forward-thinking audience to join Hyundai as they turn personal missions of social responsibility and passion, into a new future of vehicle design and infinite progress.
AKQA
The full project is featured on AKQA.com.