Though not as successful as their music-loving hamster counterparts, Kia’s oddball cast of life-size children's characters from last year’s Joyride commercials are back for a new advertising campaign. Muno, Sock Monkey, MR. X, the vintage robot and teddy bear will star in two new 30-second TV spots for the 2012 Sorento CUV. As with the original campaign, "Joyride 2" was created by David&Goliath, KMA's advertising agency of choice. The first commercial begins airing today and will be followed up by the second spot next month.
"The Sorento has been Kia's best-selling vehicle in the U.S. every month since arriving in showrooms in January 2010 thanks in large part to the immense popularity of the original 'Joyride Dream' campaign," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications, KMA.
"In just its second model year, the 2012 Sorento delivers significant performance and efficiency improvements as well as new convenience features that meet the ever-changing needs of today's consumers, and bringing back the popular 'Joyride' crew allows us to continue our momentum in a fun and entertaining way," Sprague concluded.
If you’ve been watching any ESPN lately, you know you can’t go a day without seeing LA Clipper’s Blake Griffin and his famous dunk over a 2011 Kia Optima. While we thought the dunk was pretty lame (since all Blake really did was jumping over the hood) and somewhat of a marketing gimmick (since Kia is the official sponsor of the NBA), Kia is milking the event for all it’s worth.
Kia has just released a new commercial showing Blake’s ‘I believe I can fly’ dunk in super slow motion. Watch the video after the jump.
Hyundai once again joins Hollywood's biggest night as the exclusive automotive sponsor of the 83rd Academy Awards, broadcast on Sunday, February 27 on ABC. Nine Hyundai ads will air throughout the coverage – two pre-show and seven during the awards ceremony itself. In accordance with Academy rules, and to ensure that Hyundai's long-time "voice" gets to enjoy the spotlight for his second consecutive Oscar nomination, Hyundai cast a guest star for a portion of the evening. Jason Bateman provides the voiceover for four ads surrounding the "Best Actor" award presentation. Hyundai's lineup includes spots for Sonata, Sonata Turbo, Sonata Hybrid, Elantra, Genesis and Equus. The two red carpet ads include "Good Things Come in Threes" featuring Sonata's three distinct powertrains, and "Comfy Home" featuring the luxurious Equus flagship sedan. In-show spots include "Family," featuring Sonata; "Anachronistic City" featuring Sonata Hybrid; "Drawing Board," "Childhood," and "Deprogramming" all featuring Elantra; "Greatest Luxury," featuring Genesis; and "iPad" highlighting Equus' unique application of an iPad owner's manual. Bateman lends his voice to "Drawing Board," "Greatest Luxury," "Anachronistic City," and "iPad." Hyundai's campaign also includes several animated billboards throughout the show. "Drawing Board" and "Greatest Luxury" are both making their debuts during the show.
"Hollywood's biggest night is a pillar of our 'Big Voices in Big Places' strategy, positioning Hyundai in the most-watched, high-profile advertising venues," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "With the compelling TV ratings combined with the glamour of the event and its attendees, it's an ideal venue to show off the stars of our vehicle lineup."
All of Hyundai's Academy Awards commercials feature Hyundai's 2011 "New Thinking. New Possibilities." brand vision. Innocean Worldwide Americas, Hyundai's agency of record, is responsible for all creative.
In what Hyundai likes to call “a group therapy session,” the automaker’s Super Bowl Ads to air for the first time during the Big Game on February 6 will comprise three TV spots aimed at brainwashing consumers into turning their attention towards the company’s 2011 Elantra and Sonata Hybrid models. Specifically, Hyundai will begin promoting the new Elantra with a spot called "Hypnotized", followed by a healing session with an ad called "Deprogramming". These two will be followed by a third spot starring the 2011 Sonata Hybrid, titled “Anachronistic City”.
“Both offer the all-new 2011 Elantra as treatment for the malaise afflicting the long-suffering compact car shopper,” Hyundai says. “Hyundai marks its fourth consecutive year as a Super Bowl advertiser by deprogramming 100 million Americans tuned in to watch the game.”
The three spots are themed “Snap Out of It” and feature Hyundai's 2011 "New Thinking, New Possibilities" brand vision. Taken separately, Hypnotized will air in the game's first quarter, followed by Deprogramming in the third quarter, and ending with the Anachronistic City in the fourth.
"We love the Super Bowl's ability to transform over 100 million Americans into advertising aficionados, so we went with a playful theme that ties a marketing-driven conspiracy theory to our fresh take on the compact car segment, the 40-mpg Elantra," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "Building from the first two Elantra ads in the AFC Championship Game, and 10 viral spots online right now, the Super Bowl shifts the campaign into top gear with what may be the biggest group therapy hypnosis session ever attempted."
Kia appears to be changing gears in its marketing approach for the Kia Soul, switching from comedy to sex appeal.
After its popular Rapping Hamsters ad, the Korean automaker has just launched a new commercial featuring the 6-foot 1-inch 20-year-old pro golfer Michelle Wie. The Kia Soul is already thought to be somewhat of a chick-car and so the ad is a smart one, with Kia obviously appealing to women by using the young, confident and talented Wie. And it’s sure to appeal to men for other reasons.
Hyundai held an official test-drive event of the all-new 2011 Avante (Elantra) for journalists in Pyeongchang, South Korea today. We are awaiting more official photos from the automaker before we put up our post of the event. If pictures speak a thousand words, how can we describe the gorgeous high-definition video above, brought to you by CarMStyle? Flick on the 720p HD option and the stunning body lines and curves of the new Avante might just come to life. Enjoy!
And it's especially apparent here that the redesigned Elantra has grown tremendously in size, to the point where it's virtually indistinguishable from the "larger" Sonata. In this video taken on Hyundai grounds, the depicted prototype is demonstrating a self-parking system that the automaker is currently testing for future products.
Oh and if it serves any importance, the Korean text notes that the video was shot on an iPhone 4. Cheers to the immaculate resolution!
PRESS RELEASE: HYUNDAI SUPER BOWL ADVERTISING HIGHLIGHTS ALL-NEW SONATA AND TUCSON
SUPER BOWL CHAMP BRETT FAVRE STARS IN SPOT HIGHLIGHTING HYUNDAI QUALITY
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF., 02/02/2010
Hyundai will be one of the most visible sponsors of Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, February 7 with a total of eight ads airing throughout the day. 2010 marks Hyundai’s third consecutive year of advertising during the nation’s largest sporting event and second consecutive year sponsoring the Kickoff Show. To view Hyundai’s Super Bowl ads, please go to: www.HyundaiNews.com.
Hyundai’s Super Bowl blitz will be highlighted by two in-game ads. The first, titled “Paint,” will kick off an aggressive campaign supporting the 2011 Sonata. Slotted for the first quarter of the game, the spot will feature the all-new sedan, which boasts 200 horsepower[1] while maintaining best-in-class fuel economy of 35 miles-per-gallon highway. The 2011 Sonata will reach dealerships this month.
The second in-game ad, titled “10 years/Favre,” scheduled for the second quarter, will feature Brett Favre, quarterback of this season’s NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings. Favre, who holds the NFL “iron man” record for most consecutive games started, will be included in a spot featuring Hyundai’s 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. In the 30-second ad, Favre accepts the Most Valuable Player award after the 2020 football season.
“The Super Bowl is not only a showcase for great football, but also for the most significant advertising, reaching an estimated 95 million viewers in the U.S.,” said Joel Ewanick, vice president of marketing, Hyundai Motor America. “Following in the footsteps of our 2008 and 2009 Super Bowl focus on the new Genesis and Genesis Coupe, we are focusing this year’s Super Bowl campaign on the all-new 2011 Sonata, the most significant new model introduction in our history.”
Continue reading to view the commercials and the complete press release. For added visibility on Super Bowl Sunday, Hyundai is the title sponsor of the “Hyundai Kickoff Show,” which begins at 6:00 p.m. ET and leads directly into the game. Hyundai will air three different 30-second ads during the Kickoff Show, including one in the time slot immediately preceding the game. Voiceovers and animations featuring Hyundai will be integrated after each commercial break.
In addition to highlighting the all-new Sonata, pre- and post-game spots will showcase the all-new Tucson and revamped Hyundai Assurance consumer protection program.
Sonata and Tucson lead a wave of new model introductions from Hyundai which will revamp its fleet called “24/7 Version 2.0.” The new product blitz will introduce seven new models in a 24-month period – the second aggressive overhaul of the Hyundai fleet since 2004. Both models usher in a new era of modern design for the Hyundai brand, while retaining its heritage of quality, safety and value. 2010 will also feature the introduction of an all-new flagship large sedan based on the Equus which is available internationally. Next year, Hyundai will also introduce redesigned Accent and Elantra models, and two all-new introductions including a sporty coupe and crossover.
Hyundai Assurance was extended and enhanced for 2010. The trend-setting program, initiated in 2009, includes a vehicle return option for new-car buyers, Hyundai’s 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable bumper-to-bumper warranty, 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and roadside assistance programs. Hyundai Assurance is the most comprehensive consumer safety net for new-car buyers in the industry.
Hyundai’s aggressive Super Bowl advertising extends its “Big Voices in Big Places” strategy, which includes high-profile advertising in sporting events, entertainment awards shows and outdoor video board placement. The strategy will continue next month as Hyundai is the exclusive automotive sponsor of the Academy Awards® with eight spots planned for the March 7 broadcast.
Jeff Bridges, now in his third year working with Hyundai advertising, will continue to serve as the narrator for the upcoming campaign.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through almost 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program which now includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable bumper-to-bumper warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-year complimentary Roadside Assistance in addition to the highly acclaimed vehicle return policy introduced in early 2009. For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com.
Kia Motors has released the first official TV commercial for the Forte Koup which made its sales debut in Korea last week. Filmed in the cityscapes of Chicago, the rather eccentric CF carries the theme of "Two is Enough" to emphasize the Koup's coupe nature. The urban setting of this commercial successfully highlights the attractive design of the Forte Koup, and we cannot help but chuckle at Kia's attempt of humor at 4 seconds into the video (0:04).
Brilliant, as the folks at CarAdvice tout. You have to love the Aussie accent at its best. Enjoy, and for the folks in Canada, enjoy your long Victoria Day weekend as well. I know I am.
After the Raphael Nadal video that sparked some controversy in the media, the "weird" theme continues with Kia's latest video of the Soul. With this one, however, it is eccentric in a cute way. Random wheels are bouncing around when the wheel of a Kia Soul Burner Concept comes into the scene. One more thing. At the end, the supposed slogan of the Soul appears and it's confusing to say the least. Soul has no color? Oxymoron anyone?
The Soul is slated to make its official debut at the Paris Motor Show this October.
Edmunds has obtained a 2009 Kia Borrego for a test drive and the review is certainly positive. They tout that the Borrego is "better appointed than stand-bys like the Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder." Due to go on sale at the end of this month, the Borrego is a body-on-frame SUV with 7-seating capabilities and boasts an impressive 7500 lbs of towing capacity.
The Borrego provides two powertrain options: a 276 horsepower 267 lb-ft of torque 3.8L V6, and a 337 horsepower 323 lb.ft of torque 4.6L V8. The EPA mileage ratings for the V8 aren't out yet, but the rear-wheel drive V6 achieves 17 mpg city/21 mpg highway. The four-wheel drive V6 achieves 16 mpg city/21 mpg highway. Head over to Edmunds by clicking on the source to read the review.
Exams are over and as I take a sigh of relief, I bring you a little promotional video of the Hyundai Genesis. Well, it's not really a promotional video. Moreso, it's the introduction video of the Genesis's official website. There is nothing new rather than a few new images of the car in its glory. Hyundai recently released two new promotional videos that actually show the car moving, but they have not been formatted for YouTube just yet. Click the link to visit the website where you can see the videos for yourself.
Though not as successful as their music-loving hamster counterparts, Kia’s oddball cast of life-size children's characters from last year’s Joyride commercials are back for a new advertising campaign. 
