Hyundai revives iconic ‘Mr. Kim’ campaign to celebrate 30 years in India

New Delhi: Some advertising classics never run out of fuel. Revisiting one of its most memorable campaigns, INNOCEAN India has recreated Hyundai Motor India Limited’s iconic “Mr. Kim” commercial to celebrate the carmaker’s 30 years in India and its 28-year association with Shah Rukh Khan.

The new film reimagines the original Santro Xing advertisement with a contemporary storyline, bringing together Hyundai’s legacy models with its current line-up, including the Hyundai CRETA and the all-electric IONIQ 5. The campaign also reflects the company’s transition towards electric mobility while celebrating one of India’s longest-running celebrity-brand partnerships.

Since its release, the campaign has attracted around 25 million views across Meta and YouTube, with a 35 per cent view-through rate, indicating strong audience engagement. Hyundai and INNOCEAN said the response demonstrates how nostalgia continues to resonate with consumers in an increasingly crowded digital landscape.

The film cleverly builds suspense before revealing its central message. A phone call from Hyundai managing director Tarun Garg, an apparent network disruption and what initially appears to be the end of Shah Rukh Khan’s long association with the brand lead viewers to believe the partnership has concluded. The narrative then circles back to the memorable Santro Xing advertisement, recreating familiar moments including the famous “Mr. Kim” exchange, before revealing the IONIQ 5 and highlighting Hyundai’s future direction.

The campaign follows the journey of Hyundai and Shah Rukh Khan from the Santro era to the CRETA and now the IONIQ 5, using the evolution of their relationship as a metaphor for the brand’s own transformation over the past three decades.

According to the agency, the creative team revisited the original Santro Xing script and carefully selected iconic elements, including the memorable dialogue, the surfboard and the “contract is now over” line, to reinterpret them for a modern audience while ensuring the references remained accessible to younger viewers.

Speaking about the campaign, INNOCEAN India chief executive officer and managing director Jaeho (Jaden) Yoo said the objective was not simply to create a nostalgic commercial but to make audiences feel the significance of Hyundai’s three-decade journey in India.

He said the team wanted viewers to experience the emotional weight of the milestone without making it feel like a history lesson, adding that good creative work should make people genuinely happy to celebrate such a landmark.

INNOCEAN India chief operating officer Santosh Kumar said the agency focused on building a story that combined warmth, drama and authenticity while staying true to the shared journey of Hyundai and Shah Rukh Khan. He added that the campaign was designed to create curiosity first before delivering the celebration with greater impact.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor India Limited head, marketing Virat Khullar said the campaign celebrates more than just the company’s 30-year milestone in India. He noted that bringing together Shah Rukh Khan and Hyundai’s managing director in the film reflects the trust and long-standing relationship the brand has built with Indian consumers while also showcasing its future vision centred on innovation and smart mobility.

The campaign also aligns with INNOCEAN India’s broader positioning as a technology-led marketing company, combining creativity, consumer insights and digital storytelling to strengthen brand engagement.

By reviving one of Hyundai’s most recognisable advertisements and blending it with its electric mobility ambitions, the campaign demonstrates that sometimes the best way to move forward is to take a memorable drive down memory lane.