Hyundai Card has launched the ‘Alphabet Card’ as an independent brand, reviving the Alphabet Card name after nearly 20 years with a distinct identity within the company’s broader card portfolio. Established in 2001 as a financial arm of Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai Card is Korea’s top credit card issuer, headquartered in Seoul
Hyundai Card has also released 11 distinct cards specialized in areas such as beauty, dining out, shopping, recurring payments, and travel.
The Alphabet Card scales back the prominence of the Hyundai Card name on both the product titles and the physical cards, replacing it with the Alphabet Card’s own design identity, characterized by bold colors and typography. Individual alphabet letters are featured on each card plate, with variations offered through contrasts in color and texture across three plate options: Half Metal, Bright, and Soft.
A dedicated Alphabet Card typeface was introduced for the brand. It shares a common foundation with Hyundai Card’s existing ‘Youandi’ font, using the proportions of a standard credit card (1:1.58) as a motif, but features sharp corners that contrast with the card’s rounded edges, along with scalability across various mediums. The typeface is applied across card plates, packaging, and merchandise.
For the metal card packaging, pulling the inner sleeve causes the card plate to pop out; Hyundai Card said the angle, standing position, and timing were tested during development. The paper mailing envelopes for the plastic cards were designed vertically to align with the card’s layout.
Hyundai Card is running a pop-up store for the Alphabet Card at Vinyl & Plastic in Hannam-dong, Seoul, through September 13. The pop-up includes a Magnet Zone where visitors can arrange alphabet letters, a Keycap Creation Zone for making custom keycap keyrings, and a Goods Zone selling branded items including bags, t-shirts, and smartphone card wallets.
“Establishing an independent brand universe for the Alphabet Card across design, typography, and packaging was possible solely because Hyundai Card is already a powerful brand,” said a Hyundai Card representative.
“Through the distinct brand plays of both Hyundai Card and the Alphabet Card, the overarching Hyundai Card universe will expand even further.”
