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The new Hyundai Getz ad continues to emphasise functional superiority - this time, with a celebrity endorser.

It's one of those goof-ups that become a part of regular banter among friends. You think the Dutch name your friend mentioned belongs to a tanned hunk with ocean-blue eyes. Until you meet Schyler, who does have blue eyes, but is a girl.

Similarly, when Rohan spends excited moments inside his Getz, planning and making space for his friends and luggage so that "Kareena" sits next to him, you join his giggling friends as toddler Kareena smiles at a crestfallen Rohan.

What you are also supposed to notice "" apart from Getz brand ambassador Sania Mirza "" are the spacious and comfortable interiors, the ease with which Rohan arranges the seats and has ample space for everyone and everything. The tagline at the end of the television commercial (TVC): Hyundai Getz. Fits everything. Including surprises.

Getz's new 30-second TVC, which went on air in the last week of October, continues on the same theme as its previous ad "" communicating the functional aspects of space.

It is the work of Innocean, Hyundai Motor Co's in-house agency that came into existence last year "" and promptly took over the company's Rs 50-crore creative account, earlier handled by Saatchi & Saatchi.

Before starting work on the Getz campaign, Innocean spoke with existing Getz owners and potential hatchback buyers across four cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Lucknow) to understand their perception. They pointed out that spacious interiors are the Getz's critical pull factor.

Selling "space" is not a new idea for the Getz, of course. Its last campaign in June "" by Innocean, but minus celebrity endorser Mirza "" showed a family walking with its arms spread out, emphasising the premium people place on roomy interiors.

In retrospect, though, that campaign didn't work too well "" dipstick surveys showed that although the ad was appreciated, it didn't help associate the car with "more space".

But the Rohan-Sania-Kareena ad isn't only about refreshing the brand promise; it is also about taking the competition head-on. "We nailed the core idea of spaciousness of Getz along with chic and subtle euro-styling, as against the mere style-driven appeal of Maruti Swift," says Vivek Srivastava, executive director, Innocean.

"We also needed to appeal to hardworking yuppy executives who are the prime buyers of a premium hatchback," adds G Sanjai, deputy general manager, market strategy and advertising, Hyundai Motors.

Which meant the company needed to spice up its communication of the car's functional advantage. Granted, the message was simple but, by making it youthful and cheeky, it could be memorable.

After all, the DINKYs (double income, no kids yet) and young singletons "" Getz's core customer group "" lead active social lives (read: travel, partying, sports and so on). All of which are hinted at in the Rohan ad.

This wasn't Innocean's only concept for the campaign, says Srivastava. "We rejected those with a more style-driven approach since they seemed defensive and clone-ish posturing vis-à-vis competitors."

Instead, the campaign is counting on Mirza's presence to up the style quotient "" although her tennis star status is deliberately not emphasised. Instead, she's just a regular girl, playing a practical joke on a pal.

"Our creative idea hinged on a real-life portrayal of friends. So it was essential to stay away from the stereotyped portrayal of Sania, tennis player. This was about a prank and collective laughter," explains Saurabh Dasgupta, creative team leader, Innocean, "Moreover, Sania is a facilitator of the communication and not a typical, verbose protagonist."

This is Getz's third TVC this year, and the second featuring Mirza, who was signed on last September as brand ambassador. A previous 30-seconder showed the tennis star stepping into the car, loaded with tennis net and poles, racquets and balls, after a match.

The idea even then was to emphasise the car's spaciousness, albeit in a more conventional manner. This time round, armed with the research results and a better understanding of the target audience, the commercial is more focused, says Srivastava. "After all, who would buy a car just because a celebrity endorses it?" asks an executive from a leading auto company.

The Rohan ad was shot in Mumbai by Footcandles Films, directed by ad filmmaker Vinil George. From filming to first viewing took just 10 days and the ad was on air in time for the ICC Champions Trophy, taking advantage of the higher TV viewership at the time.

Now, the 30-second film and a 20-second edit are appearing on most news and general entertainment channels, as well as regional language channels. The ad has also been dubbed in Tamil and Malayalam.

Hyundai seems quite pleased with the initial feedback to the ad and Innocean executives add that the response in terms of likeability and empathy has been "very encouraging".

But it's still not planning to extend the campaign beyond television at present. Of course, billboards and hoardings that promote the car will carry the new tagline, and some basic showroom promotions are scheduled.

That may not be nearly enough. Competitor Maruti Swift continues to lead on Indian roads with sales of over 89,000 cars, compared with Getz's 35,000, since both cars were launched in May 2005. If Hyundai wants to catch up soon, it needs to step on the gas a little harder.