Hyundai Motor Celebrates 10 Years of IONIQ Forest and One Million Trees Planted with Groundbreaking ‘Tree Correspondents’ AI Campaign
Hyundai Motor Company is celebrating a major environmental milestone with the 10th anniversary of its IONIQ Forest initiative and the successful planting of one million trees across the globe. In commemoration of this achievement, Hyundai has officially launched a pioneering campaign titled ‘Tree Correspondents’, a unique artificial intelligence (AI)-powered project designed to give trees a “voice” and raise awareness of forest conservation and climate change.
A Decade of Green Impact: From IONIQ Electric to Global Forests
The IONIQ Forest project was originally introduced in 2016 to coincide with the launch of the Hyundai IONIQ Electric, the brand’s first dedicated electric vehicle. Since then, the initiative has evolved into a global environmental program, planting trees to combat climate change and improve ecosystems for future generations.
In 2021, the project expanded significantly with the debut of the IONIQ 5, as Hyundai extended its sustainability efforts beyond South Korea to other parts of the world. As of July 2025, the IONIQ Forest initiative has resulted in the planting of over 1 million trees in 13 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Vietnam, India, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the Czech Republic, Türkiye, the Philippines, China, and Korea.
These forests serve multiple purposes: they help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, protect local biodiversity, support ecological restoration, and symbolize Hyundai’s broader commitment to climate action and sustainability.
Introducing Tree Correspondents: An AI Campaign Giving Trees a Voice
To mark the dual milestones of 10 years and one million trees, Hyundai unveiled Tree Correspondents, an innovative and emotionally resonant campaign driven by advanced AI technology. This campaign introduces the voices of trees through AI-generated storytelling, providing first-person narratives from the perspective of individual trees located in Hyundai’s IONIQ Forests.
These narratives are not mere fiction. Hyundai installed sensors and trackers on selected trees in Brazil, the Czech Republic, and South Korea to collect real-time ecological data such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, and other environmental variables. This information was then merged with datasets from global environmental partners like The Weather Company.
The resulting data was processed through a custom-built large language model (LLM), which uses natural language processing, data interpretation, and narrative construction to transform dry scientific metrics into vivid, compelling human-like stories. Each “tree correspondent” shares insights into the changing climate, the threats to its ecosystem, and the overall state of the environment around it.
Amplifying the Voices of Forests: Multi-Platform Storytelling
The campaign’s content is accessible on multiple platforms to maximize public engagement. The TreeCorrespondents.com website serves as the central hub where visitors can read the stories generated by AI from the trees themselves. The narratives reflect the trees’ unique experiences with topics ranging from deforestation and climate change to ecological restoration and resilience.
Hyundai has also released a campaign film on the Hyundai Worldwide YouTube channel, offering viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of Tree Correspondents. The film documents the current state of IONIQ Forests, the data collection process, expert interviews, and the innovative AI technology that powers the campaign.
In a creative twist, Hyundai has allowed the “tree correspondents” to temporarily take over the Hyundai Worldwide Threads account, where the trees are sharing their stories and insights in real-time, further reinforcing the campaign’s immersive nature.
Creative Excellence and Global Recognition
Although officially launched today, the Tree Correspondents campaign began making waves on March 21, aligning with the International Day of Forests. Since then, it has already received high praise in the global creative community.
At the prestigious 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the campaign won three major awards in the Digital Craft category – two Gold Lions and one Silver Lion – recognizing its groundbreaking blend of environmental advocacy, storytelling innovation, and AI-driven creativity.
These accolades serve not only as a testament to Hyundai’s marketing ingenuity but also underscore the growing importance of environmentally driven storytelling in corporate branding and communications.
Hyundai’s Vision: Starting with the First Million
The campaign’s theme, “Starting with the First Million,” signals that Hyundai’s environmental commitment is far from complete. Reaching one million trees is a significant achievement, but it also marks the beginning of the next phase in the company’s long-term sustainability vision. Hyundai plans to continue expanding its IONIQ Forest project globally, planting more trees and integrating additional technologies that bring visibility and urgency to the climate conversation.
By turning environmental data into personalized narratives, Hyundai is not only highlighting the critical need for forest conservation but also inviting the public to emotionally connect with nature on a deeper level. The Tree Correspondents campaign exemplifies how innovative use of AI can humanize data, inspire climate action, and foster a greater appreciation for the planet’s natural ecosystems.
