Fed-Up Baby Boomers Present Merriam-Webster's With National Petition

Kia Motors Wraps Successful National Campaign to Rethink How Boomers Are Defined

BOSTON and IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 8 -- Today two baby boomers sent by Kia Motors America on a cross-country trek to collect signatures on petitions to change the dictionary definition of baby boomer ended their journey by presenting more than 12,000 petition signatures to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary in Boston.

Responding to the groundswell from boomers, Kia Motors America launched a national grassroots campaign to send a message to the dictionary giant that it's time to change the definition of baby boomer. In early November, the automaker sent a baby boomer couple, Louis and Mariann Mawcinitt of Los Angeles, across the country in its newest vehicle, the Kia Amanti, to gather signatures from boomers asking that the dictionary no longer define baby boomers solely by the year they were born.

According to a recent national Omnibus survey commissioned by Kia Motors America, baby boomers no longer want to be defined as old. The "Woodstock Generation" may be receiving their AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) cards, but the 78 million plus baby boomers in the U.S. consider themselves young at heart and highly active.

Claiming that the current dictionary definition does not accurately reflect the youthful attitude of today's baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), the Mawcinitts made stops in 11 cities on their way to Boston where Merriam-Webster's is headquartered, as part of the Forever Young with Kia Amanti Tour.

"Our recent survey shows us that boomers don't want to be defined by their age, rather by a state of mind," says Kia Motors America President and CEO, Peter M. Butterfield. "We designed our new Kia Amanti for this group who want a car that offers style, safety and comfort and appreciates getting a lot of value for their money. Baby boomers are active at an age where they want to reward themselves and will always be young at heart."

As part of the national tour, baby boomers have had the opportunity to add their names to the petition while registering to win a new Kia Amanti by logging onto the Kia sweepstakes Website -- www.kiasweepstakes.com . Boomers are eligible to enter the contest between Nov. 8 and Dec. 10. Additional information on the tour, including a list of cities the Mawcinitts visited, is also available at www.kiasweepstakes.com .

The Kia Amanti, the car being showcased on the tour, is Kia's newest addition to the company's growing product lineup. The Amanti is a breakthrough model for Kia, both in terms of its styling and its positioning, with more expressive looks, comprehensive safety features and a less conservative image than its competitors. Not only will this new sedan appeal to a whole new group of buyers for Kia, it will also help shift consumers' impressions of Kia as a maker of small, entry-level cars to that of providing leading value in every segment where the company competes.

The 2004 Kia Amanti will debut at Kia retail showrooms throughout the U.S. this month. Kia Motors America is the U.S. sales, marketing and service arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea. The full line of Kia models including the Amanti premium large sedan, Sorento midsize SUV, Sedona minivan, Optima midsize sedan, Spectra compact sedan and five-door hatchback as well as the Rio subcompact sedan and Rio Cinco five-door are available at more than 600 retailers nationwide. For more information please visit www.kiamedia.com .