With Lim Young-woong and Kai... The Evolving Transformation of New Car Showcases

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The automotive industry's showcase format is transforming due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). While strengthening online non-face-to-face interactions, the industry is making every effort to convey new images through collaborations with artists.

According to the industry on the 1st, Hyundai Motor Company will hold a showcase with SM Entertainment at 10 PM to promote 'The All-New Tucson.'

The showcase 'Beyond DRIVE,' held through Hyundai Worldwide's YouTube channel, SMTown, and EXO's YouTube channel, is a non-face-to-face performance that promotes a new concept of virtual showcase. It harmonizes stage technology combining augmented reality (AR) and extended reality (XR), performances by K-pop artists, and music videos. Hyundai and SM plan to simultaneously conduct a new car launch event and an online concert through this stage.

EXO member Kai stars as the SM artist. Kai performs various genres of performance and acting while traversing surreal spaces such as the sea, space, Lilliput, and forests. Along with this, the new Tucson appears as a storytelling element, and the performance proceeds like a musical.

Hyundai stated, "The new Tucson, realized through augmented reality technology, will fly across the stage, and surreal backgrounds using extended reality technology will unfold, attempting new stage production."

On the 4th, SsangYong Motor's new sports utility vehicle (SUV), 'All New Rexton,' will hold a showcase alongside the release of Lim Young-woong's new song.

This online showcase recruited 150 panelists on the music platform Melon on the 22nd. With a large influx of Lim Young-woong fans, reservations were completed within one minute.

A SsangYong Motor official said, "For the first time in the industry, through the ‘All New Rexton Online Showcase X Lim Young-woong,’ we plan to present the All New Rexton and Lim Young-woong's new song together," and evaluated, "This sell-out showed the expectations for the All New Rexton and Lim Young-woong's new song."