Hyundai’s ‘Hot Hatch’ Ads Too Hot for Some Koreans

Hyundai’s i30 is under fire in Korea, not because it’s not an exciting car, but because some TV and Internet viewers think two commercials for the new marque are too – well, too racy.

Using scenery suggesting it was produced in Europe, the first one has drawn ire from a wide range of Netizens for what some claim is the exploitation of women.

The half-minute commercial opens with an attractive model adjusting her spiked heels on a wet urban avenue. Along comes a speeding i30 hatch and blows her skirts high, a la the famous  Marilyn Monroe photo from the 1955 movie “The Seven Year Itch.”

She also gets splashed by spray from the speeding vehicle.

The commercial later cuts to the interior and reveals a young, attractive woman passenger, whose plunging neckline is drawing some of the negative comments.

The second ad is causing even more social friction. This one features the “Hot Hatch Girl,” a young lady wearing tights with bare midriff, shown in silhouette.

The model bends and kneels in various ways so the curves of her body are similar to those of the superimposed i30.

With some Korean news outlets reporting negative reaction to the commercials,

Hyundai risks raising more hackles by having the “Hot Hatch Girl” drive the i30 in a performance demonstration at the Hot Hatch Festival scheduled for Sept. 24 in Seoul.

The ruckus over the racy commercials erupted just as virtually everyone throughout Korea was away from work, getting a good start on the 5-day Chuseok thanksgiving festival, the country’s biggest family holiday.

Chuseok this year was celebrated Sept. 15. Workers and office staff at all Hyundai facilities left for their holidays the previous day.