Automotive News
In Kia’s Super Bowl 50 ad, the redesigned 2016 Optima is like the world’s most exciting pair of socks.
The spot is all about standing out from the pack as Kia hopes to do with the Optima in a midsize sedan segment that the automaker says is boring and basic.
Actor Christopher Walken, wearing a colorful sock on his hand, pops up in an unsuspecting man’s closet in the commercial to warn him of going through life “uninspired” like a pair of beige socks.
“There are two kinds of people in this world,” Walken says as he reveals the vibrant sock on his hand. “Those who are content to blend in … then there are those who expect more. They’re exciting. They have pizzazz.”
Walken then introduces him to the new Optima and asks him to try it on for size. The 60-second spot, titled “Walken Closet,” will run in the fourth quarter.
Kia is using its Super Bowl spot as the centerpiece of a digital campaign that will rely on the power of influencers on social media. The influencers were selected with the help of IBM’s supercomputer Watson, which uses sophisticated artificial intelligence software to answer questions.
In the lead-up to the game, Kia said nearly 100 influencers received a pair of the colorful socks featured in the ad and “were encouraged to share how they ‘add pizzazz’ to their lives on their social media channels.” The content was featured on Kia’s Tumblr page.
Kia said social media talent agency Niche and lifestyle apparel brand, Stance, also helped identify and engage influencers.
“No one is cooler or as instantly recognizable as Christopher Walken, and on advertising’s biggest stage Kia is out to show the world the all-new Optima delivers a level of refinement and sophistication unlike anything else in the midsize segment,” said Michael Sprague, COO of Kia Motors America, in a statement.
Kia will be joined in a celebrity-filled Super Bowl ad race by Acura, Audi, Buick, Honda, Hyundai, Mini and Toyota. Since 2010, 33 percent of auto ads have featured celebrities, according to ad data firm Ace Metrix.
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