Christopher Walken Adds "Pizzazz" To Kia Motors' Super Bowl Commercial For The All-New Optima Midsize Sedan
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IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 2, 2016There's no one quite like Christopher Walken – he is an original. And in Kia Motors America's (KMA) 2016 Super Bowl commercial, the Academy Award-winner employs a colorfully stylish sock to demonstrate how the next generation Optima stands out in the midsize sedan segment filled with entries that look and drive the same.
Premiering today on YouTube.com/Kia – and set to air in the fourth quarter of the big game – "Walken Closet" is the centerpiece of Kia's multiplatform campaign spotlighting the all-new 2016 Optima as the vibrant alternative for those searching for more in a vehicle segment whose hallmarks are basic, boring and uninspired. As Walken explains in the spot, "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who are content to blend in … then there are those who expect more. They're exciting. They have pizzazz."
"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, chief operating officer and EVP, KMA.
Before and after the Super Bowl, the fully integrated campaign – created by David&Goliath, KMA's advertising agency of record – brings the spirit of "Walken Closet" to life across multiple channels and breaks new ground in digital engagement, as Kia is the first brand to utilize a new technology solution from Influential, a Mobile First influencer platform, using IBM Watson to connect brands to some of the most highly engaged influencers on social media.
By tapping into IBM Watson's Personality Insights API, Influential helped Kia select and activate the most relevant social media influencers for the #AddPizzazz campaign. Influential has gone beyond assessing typical metrics (like demographics and social reach) and is now able to analyze unstructured data pulled from an influencers' social media feeds. This technology has enabled Kia to identify influencers based on previously hard-to-measure metrics – like how they are perceived by their followers and how well their specific personality fits the personality of the brand.
In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, nearly 100 of these influencers received a pair of the colorful Stance socks featured in "Walken Closet" and were encouraged to share how they "add pizzazz" to their lives on their social media channels. The content was then pulled into Kia's Tumblr page, allowing people to find, connect, create and share additional content. In addition to the individuals Influential identified by personality, social media talent agency, Niche, and lifestyle apparel brand, Stance, also helped identify and engage select influencers.
"2016 marks Kia's seventh straight appearance in the Super Bowl, and each year our goal is to deliver something upbeat, fun and memorable that aligns with Kia's forward-thinking vision," said Sprague. "We are never afraid to challenge conventional thinking and go our own way, and our #AddPizzazz efforts are the latest example of what makes Kia, and the Optima, stand out."
As part of the campaign, beginning on Wednesday, February 3, consumers can download a $25 Visa® pre-paid card test drive voucher at Kia.com that is redeemable after eligible consumers visit a Kia dealership and complete a test drive of the all-new 2016 Optima[1].
About the 2016 Kia Optima
The all-new 2016 Optima is
passionately designed and obsessively crafted with European styling, a
refined premium interior and significant ride and handling improvements.
Kia's best-selling nameplate challenges the midsize sedan segment with
three engine choices, including a new 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder
that's mated to a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), making the
Optima more confident on the road than ever before. The roomier, more
luxurious cabin features an impressive level of craftsmanship that comes
standard across five trim levels. The all-new Optima is built at Kia's
plant in West Point, Georgia.*
About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is
the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as the
"Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time
annual sales record in 2015, surpassing the 600,000 unit mark for the first
time in company history. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including
the rear-drive K900[2] flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV,
Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle[3], Sportage compact
CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5
and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize
multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across
the United States. Kia's U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and
Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and
supplier jobs.
About IBM Watson
Watson represents a new era in
computing called cognitive computing, where systems understand the world
the way humans do: through senses, learning, and experience. Watson
continuously learns, gaining in value and knowledge over time, from
previous interactions. Watson is open to the world via a developer platform
where over 77,000 developers are prototyping and building cloud-based
cognitive computing applications using more than 30 Watson services
available on the IBM Watson Developer Cloud on Bluemix. With the help of
Watson, organizations are leveraging cognitive computing to transform
industries, help professionals do their jobs better, and solve important
challenges. To advance Watson, IBM has two dedicated business units:
Watson, established for the development of cloud-based cognitive computing
technologies that commercialize "artificial intelligence," and Watson
Health, dedicated to improving the ability of doctors, researchers,
insurers and others to surface new data insights and deliver personalized
healthcare. For more information on IBM Watson, visit: www.ibm.com/Watson
and www.ibm.com/press/Watson.
About Niche
Niche, launched in 2013 and acquired by
Twitter in February of 2015, is a network of over 24,000 social media
creators. Creators leverage Niche's technology to understand and grow their
community across social platforms. And as part of Twitter's Brand Strategy
team, Niche executes marketing campaigns across the creator network
alongside hundreds of leading brands and advertisers.
About Stance
Embracing "The Uncommon Thread" as its
mantra, Stance turned socks into one of the world's most exciting
categories in less than five years. Stance's founders saw a category that
had been ignored, taken for granted, and dismissed. By breathing life into
something that had been overlooked, Stance ignited a movement of art and
self-expression that has drawn athletes, performers and iconic cultural
influencers to the brand – a group they call the Punks & Poets. And by
underpinning its creative roots with a relentless focus on technical
innovation, Stance is now found in over 40 countries on the feet of those
who dare to be different. Stance is headquartered in San Clemente, California and became the official
sock of the NBA starting in the 2015-16 season. For more information visit
www.stance.com.
* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims
only) are assembled in the United States
from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
1 For complete
terms and conditions, visit Kia.com.
2 K900 available in
select trims and in select markets with limited
availability.
3 Soul EV in select markets with limited
availability.