At Cannes Lions 2025, one of the most talked-about sessions wasn’t about data or AI—but about a short film that never even mentioned the brand it was promoting. The team behind Hyundai’s “Night Fishing” took the stage to reveal how bold trust, creative restraint, and cinematic vision turned an electric car’s safety cameras into a Grand Prix-winning piece of entertainment.
🎬 Not an Ad—A Film
Christy Lind, Chief Client Officer at Canvas Worldwide, moderated the conversation with:
- Sungwon Ji, CMO of Hyundai Motor Company
- Junga Kim, Chief Creative Officer of Innocean
They described “Night Fishing” not as branded content, but a true film shot entirely using the seven built-in cameras of the IONIQ 5 EV—no zooms, pans, or branded dialogue. The mission was simple but daring: “Create something people would seek—not skip.”
💡 Why Make a Film at All?
In an era of constant content overload, consumers are skipping, blocking, and ignoring ads—even marketers themselves admit they do it. With people bombarded by up to 10,000 ads a day, brands now compete not just with other ads, but with TikTok, Netflix, YouTube Shorts, and everything in between.
Hyundai and Innocean responded by flipping the model: instead of interrupting content, they became the content. The result? A 13-minute narrative sci-fi film about an alien stealing EV power and a low-tech detective on the case—shot entirely with car safety cameras.
🧪 Constraints Sparked Creativity
Junga Kim shared that the project required hundreds of pre-tests to make the unconventional format work. They partnered with award-winning Korean filmmaker Moon Byoung-gon to craft a story that made fixed camera angles a feature, not a flaw.
Despite zero product mentions, “Night Fishing” became a critical and audience success.
🎟️ They Made People Pay to Watch It
In another bold move, the film premiered in movie theaters—with consumers paying $1 for a ticket. Not only did viewers pay to watch it, they came back for more, turning Night Fishing into a gateway experience for other films. The campaign even outperformed blockbuster Inside Out 2 in theater occupancy.
“People who avoid ads paid to watch this one,” said Ji. “It’s a new business model in the making.”
🍿 Introducing the “Snack Movie”
The format—short, impactful, and cinematic—is being dubbed a “Snack Movie” by the team. Unlike traditional branded content shoved onto YouTube, Hyundai’s film broke into entertainment spaces, with critics and consumers treating it as a real release. Other brands in Korea are now following suit.
🔁 A Shift in Brand Strategy
Night Fishing wasn’t just a viral stunt—it reflected Hyundai’s evolving marketing vision. The IONIQ 5, as a halo product for the brand’s electrification journey, served as the silent star.
“In the past, people chased brands. Now, brands must chase people,” said Ji. “And that means being chosen, not just seen.”
🎥 What’s Next?
Kim believes branded content must move beyond YouTube and into new cultural spaces—theaters, galleries, concerts, even bookstores. The key? Letting creatives lead without overwhelming the message.
“Instead of pushing messages, we must focus on the experience audiences will have,” she said. “That’s how you earn attention.”
🏆 A Cannes-Worthy Lesson in Restraint and Innovation
Night Fishing didn’t just challenge traditional advertising norms—it proved that when brands trust creativity, people don’t just tolerate their content—they’ll pay to see it.
🦑 “It wasn’t an ad. It was a story with a reason to exist,” said Ji. “And that made all the difference.”
