Fashion and automobiles are always associated with each other. To be a bit more precise, it is always said, if wanted to sell cars in numbers then adapt to the most fashionable people of the market – and no one knows them better than the ‘fashion designers’. The case here with the Hyundai UK seems to be that similar, as the Korean carmaker collaborated with London College of Fashion to promote their creativity as well the world’s first production fuel cell car: the zero-emission ix35 Fuel Cell under the same hat.
It was the competition given to the undergraduates of the College where they were asked for creating a ‘Mobile Marketing Campaign’ with the clear motive of promoting the hydrogen fuel-celled vehicle. Students came up with various 2D visuals that articulated the campaign message: ‘Using fashion, as a discipline, to drive brand awareness and change, build a sustainable future and improve the way we live our lives’.
From the crowd, it was the 1st year BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Realisation student, Ilona Spruge, whose design was selected as the best. Ilona used a combination of chemistry and nature to portray her work. As her reward, her artwork will be showcased to the whole city, wherein addition she will also be presented with an award by Hyundai UK’s president and CEO Tony Whitehorn, at an awards presentation in Shoreditch on June 25th.
“I am absolutely delighted that my design has been chosen as the overall winner. I’m really excited that my work will be showcased in such a high-impact way by being driven around London chauffeuring VIP guests to LCF’s shows” said Ilona. “My inspiration for the campaign came from this simple truth: ‘The car with a green agenda close to its heart’, and I felt empowered by Hyundai to create a design synonymous with a sustainable future.”
However, this marketing strategy may feed Hyundai the best results for coming future in Britain with regards to its hydrogen-fuel cell technology. It can be believed, the future is not of EVs, but it’s what the zero-emission Hyundai ix35 had.
“This project will allow students to showcase their work around London over the coming weeks and help raise awareness of technology that could genuinely change the world in which we live,” commented Tony Whitehorn, Hyundai UK’s President & CEO. “It’s fantastic to be able to collaborate with such talented individuals from London College of Fashion. The winning design from IIona Spruge beautifully captures the essence of the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell, showcasing her own creative take on what is happening under the bonnet in the form of an incredible illustration.”
Confronting details about ix35 Fuel Cell, it can be refuelled with hydrogen in only a few minutes. It accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 12.5 seconds, has a top speed of 100mph, can travel up to 370 miles on a single tank and has an output of 100kW. 14 years and several hundred million euros of spent by hundreds of engineers at Hyundai Eco Technology Research Institute in Mabuk, Korea, earmarked this development to mankind. And by the way, reminding the emission, ix35 Fuel Cell emits water only, no gases.
