Hyundai Motor Celebrates 10 Years of IONIQ Forest and 1 Million Trees Planted with AI-Driven ‘Tree Correspondents’ Campaign
Hyundai Motor Company is commemorating a decade of environmental commitment with the celebration of two major milestones for its IONIQ Forest initiative: its 10th anniversary and the achievement of planting over one million trees across the globe. To mark this remarkable progress, Hyundai has unveiled its latest brand campaign, Tree Correspondents, which uses artificial intelligence to give trees a metaphorical “voice,” highlighting the urgent need for forest conservation and global climate action.
A Decade of Green Commitment
The IONIQ Forest initiative was first launched in 2016 in celebration of Hyundai’s debut electric vehicle, the IONIQ Electric. It started as a local afforestation effort with a vision to create a more sustainable future by planting trees that contribute to carbon offsetting and environmental regeneration. Over the years, Hyundai has expanded the scope of the project to reflect the evolving sustainability goals of the company.
The global expansion of IONIQ Forest began in earnest in 2021, in tandem with the launch of the IONIQ 5, Hyundai’s dedicated electric vehicle. Since then, the program has extended its roots into 13 countries: the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Vietnam, India, South Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Türkiye, the Philippines, and China. Earlier this month, Hyundai proudly announced that it had successfully planted more than 1 million trees worldwide through the initiative—a major milestone in its corporate social responsibility (CSR) journey.
Introducing Tree Correspondents: Giving Nature a Voice Through AI
To bring renewed attention to the significance of forest preservation and to celebrate this green achievement, Hyundai introduced Tree Correspondents, an AI-powered storytelling campaign designed to personify trees and share their stories from a first-person perspective. This innovative approach uses ecological data and artificial intelligence to create immersive narratives that deepen the emotional connection between audiences and nature.
Using a customized large language model (LLM), Hyundai transforms raw ecological data into human-like stories that convey the experiences, challenges, and environmental observations of individual trees. The campaign operates under the theme ‘Starting with the First Million,’ signifying that Hyundai’s reforestation journey is far from over and aims to inspire ongoing climate-conscious actions.
This creative application of technology extends Hyundai’s brand vision, ‘Progress for Humanity,’ beyond the automotive sector. The company is leveraging AI not only to improve mobility but also to cultivate awareness and responsibility toward the environment.
How the Campaign Works
Tree Correspondents involves the installation of trackers on selected trees in the IONIQ Forests located in Brazil, the Czech Republic, and South Korea. These trackers monitor real-time environmental and ecological conditions surrounding the trees. Hyundai further enhances this data with inputs from external partners such as The Weather Company to enrich the dataset with comprehensive climate and atmospheric insights.
The raw data collected—covering temperature, moisture levels, air quality, and more—is then processed through the LLM. The result: compelling first-person narratives ‘written’ by the trees themselves. These AI-generated articles highlight pressing issues such as climate change, deforestation, and the fragility of forest ecosystems.
The campaign also includes an engaging digital presence. The official TreeCorrespondents.com website allows visitors to read these stories, while Hyundai’s YouTube channel features a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the campaign, including data collection, expert interviews, and field footage of the IONIQ Forests. In a creative social media twist, Hyundai’s Threads account has also been taken over by the “tree correspondents” themselves, with posts composed from the perspective of the trees.
Global Recognition for Creative Innovation
Even before its full unveiling, the Tree Correspondents campaign had already begun gaining attention and accolades. Launched on March 21, in conjunction with the International Day of Forests, the campaign has been widely praised for blending technology, creativity, and environmental consciousness.
At the prestigious 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the campaign was honored with two Gold Lions and one Silver Lion in the Digital Craft category. This recognition reflects not only the campaign’s technical sophistication but also its storytelling prowess and impactful message.
A Broader Vision for Sustainability
IONIQ Forest and Tree Correspondents form part of Hyundai’s broader CSR and sustainability roadmap, which aims to address pressing global environmental challenges through innovation, action, and education. By using AI to connect people emotionally with the natural world, Hyundai is making forest conservation more accessible and compelling to a digital-first audience.
The company’s continued investment in ecological programs, paired with its EV-focused mobility transformation, positions Hyundai as a brand that is not only technologically forward-thinking but also deeply committed to the planet’s well-being. Through these programs, Hyundai affirms that sustainable progress isn’t just about cleaner transportation—it’s also about restoring and protecting the natural ecosystems we all depend on.
As Hyundai looks to the next chapter of its environmental mission, the milestone of planting 1 million trees serves as both a celebration and a call to action. With the success of Tree Correspondents and IONIQ Forest, Hyundai Motor Company continues to pave the way for a greener, more connected future—one tree, and one story, at a time.
