Last month, Hyundai owner Todd Jamison was the victim of some very bad luck. His 2004 Hyundai Elantra was the victim of one of the worst parking attempts of all time. As you can see in the following security camera shot, a large SUV pulled into the gym parking lot in which his Elantra was parked, and inexplicably drove right on top of it:

Pretty much the worst luck you can imagine, right? Well the folks at Hyundai heard about this little mishap, and presented Jamison with a brand new Hyundai to replace his crushed car. Here’s the video, from Hyundai’s YouTube channel (Awesome!):

This is really marketing at its finest. Building brand loyalty isn’t about spending the most money – it’s about making an authentic gesture to your customers. As with gift giving, it truly is the thought that counts. Hyudai took this opportunity to show that they care about their customers – for a fraction of the cost of a 30 second TV spot. Not only has Jamison surely become a loyal customer, but lots of people like me will talk and blog about Hyundai’s goodwill. Congratulations Hyundai, job well done.