Recently, major domestic and international companies have been conducting various meaningful social contribution projects as part of their CSR activities, such as ESG and eco-friendly campaigns. Hyundai Motor has also been running the "LONGEST RUN" eco-friendly social contribution campaign both online and offline since 2016, aiming to create a clear and clean world without fine dust for seven years.
In this year's LONGEST RUN campaign, the emphasis was on the successful hosting of a large-scale race that had not taken place for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign also focused on incorporating the new eco-friendly code, "Zero Waste,"' throughout the entire campaign. From the eco-friendly untact race conducted through a mobile app to various promotions and the final run with the "Zero Waste" concept held offline, the ultimate goal was to create a new customer experience (CX) for the LONGEST RUN, different from previous years.
To position LONGEST RUN as Hyundai Motor's main ESG campaign, a more differentiated approach was needed compared to previous competitions. Establishing a new social contribution program that could provide participants with high utility was necessary. There was also a challenge in contemplating the essence of running events, including the need to set up a new social contribution program that could offer participants high utility and address the distortion of the running event's purpose through the upscale merchandise trend seen in other competitions.
Fortunately, at the time of the LONGEST RUN event, there was an increasing societal commitment to eco-friendly lifestyles among citizens. The positive trend of outdoor events recovering in accordance with relaxed epidemic prevention guidelines after two years, coupled with the popularization of electric cars, played as favorable factors.
To maximize this opportunity, the focus shifted towards creating a distinctive brand experience for the LONGEST RUN through a more convenient, enjoyable, and sophisticated eco-friendly experience. The aim was not only to enhance LONGEST RUN's unique brand experience but also to establish Hyundai Motor's image as a leading ESG company, moving beyond the perception of eco-friendliness as something inconvenient or rugged, to something convenient, enjoyable, and refined.
1 Engaging and fun digital campaign
The LONGEST RUN campaign started in the digital realm. Building on the concept of "The Longest Run in the World," the campaign was designed to encourage participation in various eco-friendly promotions by accumulating "Eco Mileage" points through running on the mobile app.
The newly devised "Block Mission" game incorporated gamification to capture potentially overlooked fun elements, allowing users to experience eco-friendliness in their daily lives more enjoyably. The Eco Mileage Shop, where users could exchange earned Eco Mileage points for various eco-friendly upcycling items, also gained immense popularity, achieving a high participation rate.
2 Reflect the spirit of creating shared value through a free event
As part of the Block Mission, a unique event was held, symbolizing the driving range of Hyundai Motor's new electric vehicle, the Ioniq 6, with a remarkable 524km. By running 5.24km, representing this range, participants could join the 10K Final Run for free. This event, differentiated from other paid competitions, aimed to create shared value (CSV, Creating Shared Value) through a distinctive process, reflecting Hyundai Motor's commitment to spreading social impact and building a sustainable corporate ecosystem.
In conjunction with the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, Hyundai Motor conducted the "Goal of the Century" campaign, aligning it with the tournament and presenting it as an aspect of a "sustainable campaign." Both campaigns shared the same goal, and Longest Run's Final Run could be participated in alongside ambassador Park Ji-sung, further emphasizing Hyundai Motor's commitment to sustainable initiatives.
From January 1, 2022, to the Final Run day on October 15, a total of 24,000 people turned on the app and ran together, achieving a record-breaking cumulative running distance of 1.34 million kilometers. The offline Final Run event received enthusiastic responses, even reaching an early application deadline.
At the end of the year, an event was held to gather the hearts of the 24,000 eco-runners who participated in 2022 and donated eco-friendly benches made from recycled materials from Hyundai Motor to Seoul parks. Through paid donations, the contribution amounts from the participating runners formed the basis for creating upcycled benches, starting from Seoul Botanic Park and expanding to major leisure spaces in Seoul.