ONE Asia Creative Awards
ONE Asia Creative Awards celebrates the best creative work of the year from the Asia Pacific region. Formerly known as the One Show Greater China Awards, which was founded in 2014 by The One Club for Creativity, the awards were established because of the tremendous growth and evolution of creativity in the Asia Pacific market. It presents an unparalleled level of prestige and honor for creatives, designers and innovators in the region. The awards are a fusion of culture where East meets West that brings the creativity of the region to the global stage.
Category
TV, VOD, & Online - Long Form
Annual ID
OA25_FIV021M
Background
[IONIQ’s main target: the MZ generation. Their response: “Don’t care, didn’t ask.”]
IONIQ is Hyundai Motor Company’s flagship electric vehicle brand. Since its release, it has been creating ads and investing in exposure with a massive budget. Still, it has failed to appeal to its main target, the MZ generation (only 1.4% IONIQ recognition among MZs). In reality, 80% of IONIQ consumers are middle-aged individuals aged 40 and older, with users in their twenties making up just 3% of buyers. What’s worse, due to the Korean government's subsidy policy for electric taxi purchases to boost EV adoption, the MZ generation even perceives IONIQ as a model exclusively for entry-level electric taxis. In this context, Hyundai sought to appeal to the MZ generation effectively—its future main target for the EV market—and create a campaign that makes IONIQ go viral in a positive light.
IONIQ is Hyundai Motor Company’s flagship electric vehicle brand. Since its release, it has been creating ads and investing in exposure with a massive budget. Still, it has failed to appeal to its main target, the MZ generation (only 1.4% IONIQ recognition among MZs). In reality, 80% of IONIQ consumers are middle-aged individuals aged 40 and older, with users in their twenties making up just 3% of buyers. What’s worse, due to the Korean government's subsidy policy for electric taxi purchases to boost EV adoption, the MZ generation even perceives IONIQ as a model exclusively for entry-level electric taxis. In this context, Hyundai sought to appeal to the MZ generation effectively—its future main target for the EV market—and create a campaign that makes IONIQ go viral in a positive light.
Creative Idea
[Entertainment, Not Ads: Content That Consumers Voluntarily Enjoy and Love]
In an era of ad skepticism where people avoid advertisements at all costs, Hyundai Motor Company broke away from advertising norms. Instead, it focused on creating entertainment content that consumers could willingly experience and enjoy. 「Night Fishing」 is a short film shot entirely using seven car cameras of IONIQ. The concept behind 「Night Fishing」 was straightforward: instead of minimizing brand exposure, create unique and unprecedented content that inherently ties back to IONIQ. Throughout the 13-minute runtime of 「Night Fishing」, neither IONIQ’s logo nor a full shot of the vehicle is shown. However, the groundbreaking idea of the car transitioning from its traditional role as a subject in films to becoming the entity that films itself captivated the public.
In an era of ad skepticism where people avoid advertisements at all costs, Hyundai Motor Company broke away from advertising norms. Instead, it focused on creating entertainment content that consumers could willingly experience and enjoy. 「Night Fishing」 is a short film shot entirely using seven car cameras of IONIQ. The concept behind 「Night Fishing」 was straightforward: instead of minimizing brand exposure, create unique and unprecedented content that inherently ties back to IONIQ. Throughout the 13-minute runtime of 「Night Fishing」, neither IONIQ’s logo nor a full shot of the vehicle is shown. However, the groundbreaking idea of the car transitioning from its traditional role as a subject in films to becoming the entity that films itself captivated the public.
Insights & Strategy
[13 Minute Long $1 Movie Sparks Consumers’ Curiosity]
The release of 「Night Fishing」 closely followed the rules of the film industry. Positioned as entertainment content rather than an advertisement, it appealed to ad-skeptical consumers by competing solely on quality. Unlike standard branded content, 「Night Fishing」 premiered at Chef Dance, a principal program of the Sundance Film Festival. After undergoing the same classification process as regular films, it was officially screened nationwide. Reflecting the MZ generation's preference for short-form content, the runtime was set to 13 minutes, with a revolutionary $1 ticket price. 「Night Fishing」 went viral among curious audiences, who eagerly paid to experience this unique advertisement in theaters.
The release of 「Night Fishing」 closely followed the rules of the film industry. Positioned as entertainment content rather than an advertisement, it appealed to ad-skeptical consumers by competing solely on quality. Unlike standard branded content, 「Night Fishing」 premiered at Chef Dance, a principal program of the Sundance Film Festival. After undergoing the same classification process as regular films, it was officially screened nationwide. Reflecting the MZ generation's preference for short-form content, the runtime was set to 13 minutes, with a revolutionary $1 ticket price. 「Night Fishing」 went viral among curious audiences, who eagerly paid to experience this unique advertisement in theaters.
Execution
The 「Night Fishing」 campaign followed the same process as feature-length commercial films. Significant effort was invested to ensure high-quality content, starting with a year-long planning. Its world premiere occurred at Chef Dance, a principal program of the Sundance Film Festival. Before its release, the campaign gained pre-viral traction through various media channels, including OOH and film magazines. Online and offline premiere events featured limited-edition merchandise and special posters inspired by the movie. Following its release, a special exhibition was held at Hyundai Motor Studios nationwide, showcasing a behind-the-scenes film and offering IONIQ test drives.
* Timeline
- August 30, 2023 : Crank-in (Start filming)
- September - December 2023 : Editing & sound design
- January 2024 : World Premiere at Chef Dance, Sundance Film Festival’s principal program
- June 2024 : Official release in theaters nationwide (CGV, Korea's leading multiplex chain)
- July 2024 : Won Best Editing Award at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival
- July 2024 - Present : 「Night Fishing」 exhibition at Hyundai Motor Studio
* Timeline
- August 30, 2023 : Crank-in (Start filming)
- September - December 2023 : Editing & sound design
- January 2024 : World Premiere at Chef Dance, Sundance Film Festival’s principal program
- June 2024 : Official release in theaters nationwide (CGV, Korea's leading multiplex chain)
- July 2024 : Won Best Editing Award at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival
- July 2024 - Present : 「Night Fishing」 exhibition at Hyundai Motor Studio
Results
The movie 「Night Fishing」 did not use any media budget. Instead, it earned revenue directly from ticket sales. In the competitive K-Movie market, it received great reviews and was even included in Korean Air's in-flight entertainment lineup—marking the first time branded content was featured by the world’s second-largest airline.
1) #1 Audience Occupancy Rate (Surpassing 'Inside Out 2')
2) 300% Average Ticket Sales
3) 250% Extended Screening
4) OTT Rating No.1 for 2 weeks (Korea's leading platform TVING)
Although the film never displays the vehicle’s full body or logo, the success of 「Night Fishing」 generated significant interest in the IONIQ brand itself. Among the MZ generation, the primary target audience, the film inspired the creation and viral spread of related memes and content.
5) 100% Media Coverage
6) 200% Gen Z Search Rate
7) 98% Brand Sentiments
8) 13.7B PR Value
9) 767% Impact Over Previous Campaigns
10) 126% Dealership Visits
11) 155% IONIQ Test Drive
1) #1 Audience Occupancy Rate (Surpassing 'Inside Out 2')
2) 300% Average Ticket Sales
3) 250% Extended Screening
4) OTT Rating No.1 for 2 weeks (Korea's leading platform TVING)
Although the film never displays the vehicle’s full body or logo, the success of 「Night Fishing」 generated significant interest in the IONIQ brand itself. Among the MZ generation, the primary target audience, the film inspired the creation and viral spread of related memes and content.
5) 100% Media Coverage
6) 200% Gen Z Search Rate
7) 98% Brand Sentiments
8) 13.7B PR Value
9) 767% Impact Over Previous Campaigns
10) 126% Dealership Visits
11) 155% IONIQ Test Drive
2025 Awards
Total Points: 2
Merit Award
Credits
Agency
INNOCEAN / Seoul
Client / Brand
Hyundai Motor Company / Seoul
Production Company
Markenfilm Asia / Seoul
Stannum / Seoul
Post Production Company
Planit Production / Seoul
Art Director
Eun-Ha Oh
Chief Creative Officer
Jung A Kim
Copywriter
Doyu Yang
Seung-Ha Rhee
Creative Director
Nari Moon
Creative Technologist
Hye-dong Roh
Director of Photography
Hyungrae Cho
Film Director
Byoung-Gon Moon
Global Chief Marketing Officer
Sungwon Jee
Sound Designer
Jack Patterson
Tom Joyce
Writer
Sukjae Hong
Assistant Editor
Hyeon-Jun Kim
Executive Producer
In-Ah Lee
Young-Hwi Seo
A Cam Operator
Kyuyeon Lee
Account Director
Bo-Kyung Kim
Min Kang
Account Executive
Sarah Yuna Choi
Sejin Sam Kim
Actor
Sukku Son
Assistant Sound Desginer
Ehyun Moon
Hyunji Shin
B Cam Operator
Wonwoo Jung
C Cam Operator
Taewoo Kim
CEO
Suyoun Choi
Chief Account Director
Hak-no Hayden Yun
Colorist
Sönke Heuer
Composer / Head of Music
Luis Almau
Costume Designer
Kyunghwa Chae
Drone Operators
Kihyuk Nahm
Siyoon Kim
First Assistant Director
Hoyong Jeon
Gaffer
Gilgyu Lee
Head of Group
Bongjo Kang
Head of Sub Division
Jumi Kim
Head of Team
Sae-mi Shin
Manager
Eugene Song
Jiyeon Che
Managing Director / Executive Producer Soundtree
Jay James
Managing Directors
Peer Münster
Yacoob Essack
Production Designer
Soohee Kim
Senior Account Director
Gye-Eun Chang
Senior Manager
Boyoung Joo
Seokhyun Alex Oh
Songs, Additional Original Score
Brand Newjiq
Jaehyun Kim
Sound Desginer
Heekook Hur
Sound Designer / Head of Sound
Henning Knöpfel
Stunt Coordinator
Namseok Noh
Title Sequence by
Dongwook Cho
Yoosun Kang
Heebok Lee
Hyunji Yoon
VFX Artist
Chiyoung Park
Chohwi Park
Heeji Kim
Hyeongbin Yoon
Jiyoung Kim
Yookyung Hong
Youjin Lee
VFX Producers
Pawel Wlodarczyk
Tania Samkova
VFX Supervisor
Sergi Tiginashvili
VFX Supervisor & Senior 3D Artist
Dawid Cencora
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