Hyundai Card launches different web strategy

Above, left: Rapper Tiger JK and Yoon Mirae’s video channel on music “Radio in Music Library”. Above, right: A 1 minute advertisement on brand presented by British actor Tom Hardy. [HYUNDAI CARD]

The scene opens with a black-and-white close-up of British actor Tom Hardy. While he gazes beyond the screen he speaks of brand ideology in a low soothing voice.

“There was not a goal in mind, only questioning the world around us,” he says. “What can be different? What can be better? What is possible?” he asks as he jumps off a cliff, feet first, into the sea below.

The 60-second clip isn’t a teaser for an upcoming movie, however. It’s a commercial for the Korean credit card issuer Hyundai Card. And it wasn’t aired on TV or Youtube, but on a website (channel.hyundaicard.com) that the company opened on Thursday.

The website, which has other video clips created by the company, is basically an internet broadcasting station.

The purpose of the site is to enhance communication with consumers while promoting their philosophy, the company said.

Although many larger companies have a website and video clip advertisements, Hyundai Card says its site is different because it doesn’t promote a product but tries to appeal to consumers with cultural marketing.

Other than the Hardy commercial, most of the videos on the site are like TV talk shows where several Korean celebrities discuss subjects from music to books and travel. One of the shows includes rapper Tiger JK and his wife and popular Korean female rapper Yoon Mirae.

“People consume contents differently accordingly to the changing media environments. We have consistently tried to find ways to effectively communicate with our consumers that are also new,” said a Hyundai Card official. “Since the communication preferences on social media are lightweight, we needed a new alternative where more in-depth contents could be distributed.”

The videos on the site are as long as 30 minutes and currently there are five major categories: Brand Film, Radio in Music Library, Library Cartoon, Book Talk and Inspiration Talk. The company said it plans to upload new videos every week.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]