► Hyundai changes pronunciation of name
► No longer anglicised, now global version
► From 2023, pronounce it: ‘Hyun-day’
Hyundai is unusual in having a name that is pronounced differently depending on where in the world you are. If you’ve ever been to America, you’ll have heard them pronouncing it ‘Hyun-day’ or ‘Hun-day’, rather than the more anglicised ‘Hy-un-dai’.
But from now on, the Brits are falling in line with the global norm – and a major rebranding campaign kicked off on Boxing Day 2022 to communicate the change and attempt to change consumer behaviour.
The advert says: ‘If you thought you knew our cars and how to say our name, maybe it’s time to think again’ – an apt line for a company that has changed beyond recognition in recent years with slick, more appealing designs and a range of cutting-edge Ioniq electric cars.
The boss on why Hyundai is changing its pronunciation
Ashley Andrew, Hyundai Motor UK managing director, said: ‘Hyundai is a young, innovative and progressive brand which has transformed with great speed. We are proudly Korean with real character and purpose. 2023 is the perfect time for us to properly reflect this in the UK, with a wealth of exciting new product to be launched, including the incredible new Ioniq 6.
‘With this campaign, we want to inject a little humour and personality to our brand which we hope will encourage more people to learn more about Hyundai.’
It won’t be easy to change decades of customer habit. We predict a period of confusion among punters – a theme riffed on in the advert, which sees people Googling the wrong thing with the old pronunciation.
Watch the official Hyundai video below.