It's time to hand over the Audi keys, Spidey.
Hyundai and Sony have inked a new partnership deal that'll have the two working closely together on various projects in the coming years. That means ol' Spidey's fleet of Audis is going bye-bye. The two companies have entered into a "multi-picture promotional partnership" that involves more than blatant product placement. New Sony movies will feature the automaker's latest models and technologies, though, with new Hyundai models appearing in five upcoming Sony films.
Those films include sequels to the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the live-action Spider-Man: Far From Home movies. The sequels are slated for an October 2022 and November 2021 release date, respectively. The deal also includes July 2021's Uncharted, a live-action prequel to the video game franchise of the same name. But the deal is more than just Hyundai loaning Sony's various movie productions a fleet of cars. Audi was quite present in the last Spider-Man installment.
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Hyundai says the new deal will "offer a wide range of opportunities" for the two. That includes leveraging Sony's intellectual property for marketing content and entertainment purposes. The two will also "collaborate on infrastructure" and concepts for Sony movies while also working together to "co-create visual reality and gaming experiences." Co-produced events are possible along with "other opportunities."
While Hyundai's latest models will be the shining stars of the deal, the partnership will also allow Hyundai to promote its vision of "human-centered future mobility." Hyundai unveiled that vision earlier this year at CES alongside its quad-rotor air taxi concept (helicopter) it partnered with Uber to produce, along with several other unique mobility vehicles. It's a bold vision for Hyundai, which is serious enough about it to have an Urban Air Mobility Division, though concepts and actions are two different things.
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For now, both Hyundai and Sony are keeping the finer details of the agreement a secret. We also don't know what involvement Hyundai will have in either of the new Spider-Man movies, though we could look to Spider-Man: Far From Home for a hint. In that movie, the Audi E-Tron SUV, Audi A7, and Audi Q8 all appeared on the screen. In the next movie, those will be Hyundai models.
Hyundai Motor and Sony Pictures Entertainment Announce Unique and Pioneering Multi-Picture Promotional Partnership
SEOUL/CULVER CITY, May 27, 2020 – Hyundai Motor Company and Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced they have entered into a unique and unprecedented multi-picture promotional partnership that will feature the automaker’s new models and technologies in upcoming Sony Pictures productions. Under the deal Hyundai Motor will also offer substantial marketing support and the companies will collaborate on a wide range of ancillary content-creation.
The partnership will marry Sony Pictures IP with Hyundai Motor’s technology and designs, building on the cinematic quality of the studio’s big-screen fare and bringing to life the automaker’s human-centered future mobility vision dedicated to revitalizing cities and galvanizing urban air mobility. The partnership will offer a wide range of opportunities to leverage Sony Pictures IP for marketing content and immersive entertainment, collaborate on infrastructure and vehicular concepts for Sony Pictures movies, co-create virtual reality and gaming experiences, and co-produce events, among other opportunities.
Hyundai Motor’s new models and technologies will be featured in five upcoming Sony Pictures films including Uncharted (July 2021); the sequel to Spider-Man™: Far From Home (November 2021); the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (October 2022); and other tentpoles to be determined.
“This strategic partnership with Sony Pictures will allow customers to understand and experience our human-centered future mobility vision through innovative vehicles and technologies, illuminating a way forward for transforming how we move, interact, and design our lives for optimal benefits. We will offer various ways to inspire our customers and movie fans around the globe," said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor.
“This deal embodies the true definition of the word partnership,” said Jeffrey Godsick, EVP of Global Partnerships and Brand Management, and Head of Location Based Entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment. “The deal has many layers, including substantial marketing support, but its real potential and impact come from groundbreaking content that we will develop together.”
At CES 2020, Hyundai Motor Company unveiled its innovative vision for urban mobility to help revitalize human-centered future cities. The three-pronged approach to realize the vision includes A) Urban Air Mobility (UAM), a new form of mobility utilizing air space to drastically reduce transit time B) Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV), an eco-friendly urban mobility device allowing customization for diverse lifestyles and C) Hub, a space for mobility transfer and community activities.