Santa Cruz is a laid-back surf town in Northern California known for its high-stoke surf culture and gritty vibes. And now, for having the best-looking wheels on the beach.
When Hyundai gifted four new SANTA CRUZ vehicles to the lifeguards in the city where it got its name, we turned to social media to share the rad news.
But we didn't just post about it. Or jump on a trend to jump on a trend. In the social channels, TikTok and Reels, we created video executions that played into the indie film trend taking over feeds.
The bespoke video content leveraged the cinematic look-and-feel and quirky tone of the trend’s aesthetic on social media. For authenticity, we tapped local lifeguards to portray themselves in slice-of-life videos that invited people to watch what happens when a Santa Cruz lifeguard gets a brand new Hyundai SANTA CRUZ to cruise in.
To build out the campaign, we complemented the video executions with picturesque image carousels on Facebook and Instagram matching the look-and-feel of the videos, and stylized copy for each platform.
Upon rollout, the comments section lit up with chatter from Hyundai’s audience applauding our creative take on the trend, validating our efforts to quickly hop into execution, and commending our strategic pair-up of the indie film trend with the quintessential charm of Santa Cruz.
The campaign was loved and shared by the Santa Cruz marine safety personnel and the greater socialsphere--even earning a repost from the vehicle designer of the first-ever Hyundai SANTA CRUZ.
