INNOCEAN India, Hyundai Motor India’s (HMIL) creative agency partner, has launched a nostalgia-driven campaign celebrating the brand’s three-decade journey in India by reviving the iconic SANTRO Xing ‘Mr. Kim’ commercial, while tracing Hyundai’s evolution from its legacy models to its current and future mobility line-up.
The campaign doubles as a tribute to 28 years of Hyundai’s association with Shah Rukh Khan, weaving elements from the original SANTRO Xing ad into a new narrative featuring the Hyundai CRETA ICE and the all-electric IONIQ 5. Since launch, it has crossed nearly 25 million views with a 35% View Through Rate across Meta and YouTube.
The film opens with a phone call from Hyundai Motor India Managing Director Tarun Garg, followed by a network drop that hints at the end of Hyundai’s long-running partnership with Khan – before circling back to recreate beloved moments from the original SANTRO campaign, including the “Mr. Kim” exchange and the “contract is now over” line, ultimately revealing Hyundai’s next chapter with the IONIQ 5.
Jaeho (Jaden) Yoo, CEO & Managing Director, INNOCEAN India, said the goal was to make audiences feel the weight of 30 years without turning it into a history lesson. COO Santosh Kumar added that the team built a story with warmth and drama that felt authentically tied to Hyundai and Khan’s journey together.
Virat Khullar, Head of Marketing at HMIL, called the campaign a celebration of enduring trust, blending nostalgia with Hyundai’s vision for connected and electric mobility ahead.
