Hyundai Motor Company made waves at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, nabbing a coveted Grand Prix, two Gold Lions, and a Silver Lion for its standout work in cinematic storytelling and AI-powered environmental advocacy.
Leading the charge was Night Fishing, Hyundai’s bold entry into branded entertainment, which earned the Grand Prix in the Entertainment – Branded Content category—marking the first-ever Grand Prix win for Hyundai at Cannes.
A genre-defying “snack movie” directed by Moon Byounggon and starring acclaimed Korean actor Son Sukku, Night Fishing was produced in collaboration with global agency Innocean. Told entirely through the fixed cameras of a car, the film unspools a compact thriller with zero overt branding—fusing cinema and subtle brand storytelling in a way that captivated juries and global audiences alike.
“I’m honored and thrilled to receive the Grand Prix at the world’s most prestigious advertising festival,” said Moon. “This recognition affirms that innovative, unconventional storytelling can create powerful emotional connections without needing to shout.”
Innocean CEO Yongwoo Lee added, “This win demonstrates the global appetite for authentic brand narratives. Night Fishing isn’t just a film—it’s a signal of where brand storytelling is heading.”
Also earning accolades was Hyundai’s Tree Correspondents, an AI-driven campaign supporting the automaker’s long-running IONIQ Forest sustainability initiative. The campaign won two Gold Lions and a Silver Lion in the Digital Craft category for its inventive use of artificial intelligence to bring biodiversity data to life. The project transforms ecological insights from Hyundai’s global reforestation efforts into vivid storytelling, narrated by “correspondents” voiced by AI.
“This campaign underscores Hyundai’s commitment to marrying innovation with purpose,” said Sungwon Jee, SVP and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor. “It reflects our belief that content marketing can move hearts and minds while advancing our environmental mission.”
The IONIQ Forest campaign celebrates its 10th anniversary in July, having planted nearly one million trees across 13 global regions—a milestone now matched by global recognition in Cannes.
Hyundai’s Cannes sweep is a signal that purpose-driven creativity and genre-pushing storytelling aren’t just buzzwords—they’re building blocks of a modern, globally resonant brand.
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