Hyundai, in a push to appeal to
younger U.S. buyers, has selected actor Paul Rudd as the brand's new celebrity
pitchman.
Mr. Rudd,
45, is best known for his droll delivery in comedy films such as "Knocked
Up", "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Anchorman: the Legend of
Ron Burgundy." He replaces actor Jeff Bridges, 64, who had been the U.S.
voice of the Korean brand for seven years.
"We
were looking for a voice that could be recognizable and relatable to a new
generation of car buyers," Steve Shannon, VP-marketing at Hyundai Motor America, said
in a statement today, praising Mr. Rudd's "modern sensibility."
The first
piece of Hyundai
advertising to include Mr. Rudd's voice is a new spot for the redesigned 2015
Sonata. In the advertisement, "Co-Pilot," a man in the back seat of a
car tries to give unsolicited driving advice to the driver. Every time he opens
his mouth, the Sonata's
navigation and safety features offer the same information first.
"Back
seat drivers just met their match," Mr. Rudd says at the end of the spot,
which was made by Hyundai's
agency of record, Innocean USA of Huntington Beach, Calif.
During his
tenure as Hyundai's
pitchman, Mr. Bridges was the voice of several major product launches and
marketing efforts, including the heavily advertised Hyundai Assurance program
from 2009 to 2011. For that campaign, Mr. Bridges delivered a promise to
recession-shocked shoppers that Hyundai would buy back their new vehicle if
they lost their job, filed for bankruptcy or became disabled.
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