Rjukan, Norway, is one of Europe’s darkest cities -– and its surrounding region immersed in darkness for nearly half the year. It’s not an easy place to live in. Happiness can be a struggle.
Innocean Berlin and Hyundai Motor Europe knew it was perfect for its unique challenge to launch the all-electric high-performance IONIQ 5 N. The challenge was to beat the winter blues – even in the depths of winter. The winter blues, also called seasonal affective disorder (S A D), affects more than 390 million people every year. Can driving the Hyndai IONIQ 5 N turn the blues around?
The partners Hyundai teamed up with a neuroscientist to measure the physical and neurological changes that take place in a human when driving IONIQ 5 N, with the aim of testing whether the car has a positive effect.
The scientific test, called “Experiment N”, took place on a frozen river across four days with 20 participants from Rjukan and surrounding regions. Each driver was screened for S A D, with those fitting the screening criteria being recruited as participants.
Hyundai enlisted neuroscientist, Shani Tal ,and her team to develop the DOJO metric, short for Depth of Joy, a first-of-its kind method for measuring the physical and neurological changes before, during, and after driving. DOJO therefore records the emotional impact of driving IONIQ 5 N. Each participant’s DOJO was assessed by combining various technologies measuring a range of bodily metrics, including brain waves, skin responses, and heart rate variability along with a range of qualitative data metrics.
The results of the experiment were overwhelmingly positive. The drivers experienced an increase in DOJO by 28%, with an increase of the positive reactions ranging up to 67%. In addition, 75% of the drivers experienced an overall improved positive emotional response..
The experiment is documented in a four-minute film, also created by Innocean, which will run on Hyundai’s YouTube, Meta, and Instagram channels across Europe, including Germany, Norway, U.K., France, and other key markets.
The launch was preceded by a teaser campaign released earlier this year on YouTube and on Hyundai’s social channels, in which lead neuroscientist Shani Tal outlines the experiment.
“The experiment shows a clear link between the depth of joy and IONIQ 5 N. Our objective was to extend our usual target audience, creating a halo effect by addressing a common and relatable pain point – the winter blues – with a unique solution. One that would demonstrate the unique capabilities of IONIQ 5 N,” stated Andrea Razeto, head of brand strategy & campaign, Hyundai Motor Europe.
“It’s often said that driving boosts joy. But for the first time, we’re putting this claim to the test. This is why we measure a whole range of different bodily metrics to test DOJO in these individuals,” added Shani Tal.
“Experiment N is a testament to the N brand’s motto of Never Just Drive. “The car’s technology forms the core of this experiment. it’s what separates ioniq 5 n from other brands in the same segment and takes the joy of driving to new levels,” commented Gabriel Mattar, CCO, INNOCEAN Berlin.
Credits
Client: Hyundai Motor Europe
CMO: Andreas-Christoph Hofmann
Director Marketing: Laura Rathai
Head of Brand Strategy & Campaign: Andrea Razeto
Brand & Product Campaigns Team Lead: Hyang A Kim
Marketing and N Brand Lead: Bastien Saunier
Agency: Innocean Berlin
European Chief Creative Officer: Gabriel Mattar
Executive Creative Director: Ricardo Wolff
Creative Directosr: Sebastian Pattis & Jose Suaid
Art Director: Changkyu Ku
Copywriter: Divya Mirlay
Chief Operating Officer: Alessia Belline
Business Director: Björn Wilke / Sebastian Sährig
Project Lead: Michael Dunker
Account Director: Anna Moskalenko
Junior Digital Account Manager: Ismail Cobanoglu
Head of Production: Fabian Barz
Senior Producers: Michael Endres, Hannes Andresen & Markus Wetschewald
Strategy Directors: Anna Nowak-Otto & Sophia Görner
Senior Strategist: Serena Merletti
Senior Media Managers: Maja Lah & Karim Makarem
Havas, European Business Lead: Wolfgang Ruch
Production Company: UNIT 9 Films Ltd
Managing Director: Adam Dolman
Executive Producer: Adrew Davis
Senior Producer: Harry Starkey-Midha
Production Manager: Daisy Heathwood
Senior Producer: Manuela Mesrie
Neuroscientist: Shani Tal
Hardware Engineer: Hugh Boys
Director: Simon Reichel
DoP: Tom Elliot
Offline: Benedikt Strick
Music, Soundmix & SFX: Chris Banks
Grade: okay studios
Executive Producer Colour: Franky Chadwick
Post-production Company: TobyundTron
Executive Producer: Steffen Tron
Service Production: northern location
Line Producer: Eirik Vaage
