How Shah Rukh Khan brought Hyundai into the hearts and minds of millions of Indians

Approximately 98 minutes into the romantic movie. Chalté ChaltéShah Rukh Khan drives into a parking lot full of posh cars in a Hyundai Santro, with his leading lady Rani Mukherjee. A visibly nervous SRK tells the valet “Hey, it weighs a little… park carefully so there is no mistake.”, which roughly translates to “Be kind to my car.” “It’s small and could get lost.” It was 2003. It was Hyundai Motor India’s seventh year in India and its fifth with SRK, its only brand ambassador since 1998, who continues to endorse the brand today.

Hyundai Motor India signed SRK as its brand ambassador in 1998, two years after establishing itself in India in 1996. The first advertisement SRK made was for the ‘Tall Boy’ Santro hatchback. It was then that the South Korean brand was looking to carve a niche for itself on Indian roads, which were then dominated by local players like Maruti Suzuki, Tata and others.

What was the key reason behind the South Korean automaker investing in SRK?

“The idea was to raise awareness about this unknown company and generate a certain level of trust. How can you create a taste for a car that looks very unusual to the Indian public? That’s when we decided to bring in SRK. It was at the top of its game back then, but more importantly the Santro was positioning itself as a family car. SRK represented the typical empty values ​​of India: he was a good boy, anchored in Indian family values, which was good for the brand. The whole strategy was to make people look at Santro through SRK’s eyes,” Anand Narasimha, media consultant, academic and former vice-president of Saatchi & Saatchi, Delhi, tells me.

Saatchi & Saatchi was the agency behind Santro’s ads back then and Narasimha led all operations on the account between 2002 and 2006.

A key clause in SRK’s contract was that if any of the films produced by Red Chillies Entertainment had a car in the plot, it had to use Hyundai cars. For films made by others, it was product placement. like three years later Chalté ChaltéAs the carmaker completed 10 years in India, SRK was seen driving a Sonata in a high-octane chase through beaches, narrow streets and highways of Mumbai in Farhan Akhtar’s film. Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006). In 2011, when Akhtar made the sequel. Don 2: The king has returnedSRK was on another chase driving a Hyundai car. This time he was persecuted at the new version of the Sonata in Berlin for his ‘expensive jungles‘ (wildcat) Priyanka Chopra in a Santa Fe. In 2016, the carmaker partnered with SRK Fan as a sponsor, commemorating its 20 years in India, with the Grand i10 and Creta featured in scenes set in Delhi and London . Another notable mention is from 2008. Rabbi Ne Bana Di Jodiwhere SRK’s character is seen buying a bright yellow i10, dancing and telling the world, mainly himself, that ‘love will go away as soon as possible‘(Little by little you will fall in love).

SRK and Hyundai Motor India have grown together from strength to strength over the years. Both had their ups and downs, challenges and competition, but the partnership has stood the test of time. “Hyundai and I are old-fashioned people. We believe in the institution of marriage… that’s why it’s been a long marriage,” SRK told Storyboard in 2017, about his association with the carmaker.

Even when SRK faced back-to-back box office flops in 2016-18, causing him to take a sabbatical from nearly half a decade of acting, his association with Hyundai Motor India remained unaffected. He was seen in all his major campaigns as ‘Be a better Goops’,’myHyundai application‘ and ‘samarth‘. He was always there at big events like the Auto Expo, making big announcements and striking his signature pose, gently reminding people that he was still around and that he was still around.Hyundai’s oldest employee in India‘.

A former colleague once joked that SRK may not be seen in films, but he will always be seen at Hyundai events. True story. From now on, it will not be surprising if he is also present at the bell-ringing ceremony.

SRK’s nearly three-decade association with the automaker is rare in a country like India, where brands, products and preferences evolve rapidly.

“Sometimes, endorsements involving Bollywood actors often become a ‘khichdi‘…at the end of the day, you don’t remember who backs what. In the case of SRK and Hyundai, it has been very rare in the Indian context for a celebrity and a brand to have had such a long association,” says Narasimha.

But what made this combination work and, most importantly, last so long?

Narasimha says the credit for this rare and long-lasting partnership goes to the three parties – Hyundai, SRK and Saatchi & Saatchi – who suggested the SRK name and brought it all together. He says, “SRK had a great sense of commitment to Hyundai and Santro and it was a two-way street. Hyundai was committed to him, which he reciprocated. I remember on many occasions he would go above and beyond and go the extra mile. Whether it was still photography or any other aspect, he was totally involved with the work and would contribute as much as he could.”

SRK-Hyundai is one of the most important and enduring stories in Indian advertising. It is a testament to how two entities joined forces to create advertisements and campaigns that resonated in the country and became an important part of the socio-cultural zeitgeist of the time. As the automaker prepares to drive to Dalal Street and begin a new chapter as a listed entity in India, it will be interesting to see what lies ahead for both the company and its brand ambassador.

Also read: Throwback: When Shah Rukh Khan was not Hyundai’s first choice for a successful entry into India in 1998

Also read: Hyundai’s journey to India: From Santro to SUVs, investment of Rs 32,000 crore and 20% focus on exports