Jung von Matt Latest Film for Hyundai Celebrates the Brand’s First Ever Car, the Pony

May. 24, 2023

Hyundai Motor Company and its global digital lead agency, Jung von Matt SPREE bring the fascinating story of the brand’s first model, the Pony to an international online audience. The 10-minute documentary style film, titled "Pony: The Next Chapter” showcases the remarkable achievement of defying the odds, to make the first car ever produced on South Korean soil, all in just two short years. Jung von Matt created a captivating narrative to win the hearts of both long-time fans and a new generations of car enthusiasts.

The overall production was steered by JvM PLAY Berlin and produced by Fount and Markenfilm Korea, the film seamlessly weaves together archival footage with compelling visuals to showcase the past, present, and future of this important little car. Anthony Molina's directorial vision brings the story to life, immersing the audience in the tale of Hyundai's first-ever car.

The film goes back to the early 70s with Hyundai founder Chung Ju-yung’s pioneering vision. Working with archive footage, we follow the journey of the Pony, from the success of its first model, to the Pony 2 and global exportation, to the car today. The film features a reunion between the legendary automotive designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro and former-Hyundai’s President, Mr. Chung Goo Lee, who joined forces to produce the Pony and had not seen each other for 40 years.

The film was shot in Italy and South Korea. In present day Seoul, interviews with Pony enthusiasts highlight the nation’s love for this car until today. Modern interpretations of the Pony are also celebrated: the Pony EV Heritage concept model, launched in 2021 is brought to life in a graphic, futuristic driving scene, made possible thanks to an LED studio. Finally, we see the Pony’s latest interpretation, the Hyundai IONIQ 5; an EV model that won World Car of the Year 2022. 

Alongside the main film for YouTube, several motion and photo assets were created for Hyundai’s global Instagram, Facebook, Twitter channels and website. Assets ranged from graphic animations and bold, fast-paced visual videos, to documentary-style cutdowns from the main film.

Franziska Spiess, Managing Director of Jung von Matt SPREE, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: 

“Hyundai’s fascinating origin story captures the same daring and innovative spirit we see in the brand today. We needed to tell this story in a way that resonated not only with the South Korean people, but car fans worldwide.”The Pony: Next Chapter film is part of a larger campaign that celebrates the heritage of Hyundai. 

 

Alongside the main film, Jung von Matt have produced other online films and activations, including "Me and My Car", a documentary style film about a young driver from the Netherlands who owns the last original Pony in Europe and a vintage-style print ad celebrating the Pony Coupe concept car —both live in June 2023.