Hyundai wins two awards including the 2026 Cannes Lions Grand Prix

Hyundai Motor has once again demonstrated its creative leadership at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026, marking its presence for the second consecutive year.

On Sunday, 28th, Hyundai announced that its 'Coquí Alarmed' campaign, which reinterprets noise as culture, won the Grand Prix in the Audio & Radio category at Cannes Lions 2026. Meanwhile, its global social contribution campaign for the conservation of underwater forests, 'Forests Without Names', received a Bronze Lion in the Creative Data category.

Now in its 73rd year, the Cannes Lions festival began in 1954 and attracts over 25,000 entries annually from around the world, drawing the attention of consumers and the marketing industry alike.

'Coquí Alarmed', which won the Grand Prix in this year's Audio & Radio category, is a locally-focused brand campaign conducted by Hyundai Motor in Puerto Rico.

Hyundai Motor Puerto Rico astutely responded to a social issue where tourists expressed discomfort with the distinctive call of the coquí frog—a national symbol—and the subsequent backlash from locals. The campaign reinterpreted the country's identity and charm by incorporating the actual sound of the coquí frog into the door-lock alert of Hyundai rental cars operating locally, thereby reinforcing Puerto Rican cultural pride.

By setting the rental car alert sound—frequently used by visitors—to the coquí frog's call, the campaign helped tourists naturally encounter Puerto Rico's iconic culture. It was positively received for reinterpreting the region's unique natural sound as a brand experience, fostering cultural empathy among both tourists and local residents.

Meanwhile, 'Forests Without Names', the winner in the Creative Data category, is a social contribution campaign that gives names to underwater forests—previously overlooked compared to terrestrial forests—and reflects them on map services.

The core of this campaign lies in naming marine ecosystems that fall into the blind spots of legal and institutional protection, thereby transforming invisible environmental issues into relatable stories.

The global underwater forest map created through the campaign includes the names and location information of newly named underwater forests. It also incorporates satellite-based data on seaweed distribution, marine environmental data, and management information such as whether the areas are designated as protected zones, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the state of underwater forests worldwide.

In addition to winning in the Creative Data category, 'Forests Without Names' was shortlisted in five other categories, including Design and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), drawing significant attention from the global advertising industry. The campaign has been praised for going beyond mere message delivery, expanding the need for underwater forest conservation into a broader social discussion and laying the groundwork for long-term discourse.