Irvine-based Kia Motors America’s new K900 luxury sedan made its television debut on Christmas Day with a 30-second ad titled “Preconceived Notions.”
The spot, which aired during several NBA games on ESPN and ABC, featured the slogan “It Challenges Everything,” alluding to K900’s challenger status in the full-size, rear-drive luxury sedan segment.
“Kia has always been willing to challenge the status quo, and with next year marking our 20th anniversary in the U.S., we are making our boldest statement yet and redefining what the Kia brand stands for with the launch of the K900,” Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing and communications, said in a news release. “The K900 is a modern and new twist on luxury, and our campaign provides a long-term platform to speak to and engage with confident, independent thinkers who actively seek out new products and unique ideas from up-and-coming brands.”
David&Goliath, Kia’s advertising agency of record, created the spot.
The ad is part of a fully integrated campaign that will incorporate several components, including social media, experiential and TV, according to Kia.
The company said the K900 launch will extend through the spring and include a new 60-second ad during the 2014 Super Bowl.
Don’t Forget Hyundai
Hyundai Motor America, which was set to move from Costa Mesa to its new headquarters in Fountain Valley in December, is also getting ready for the Super Bowl.
The automaker’s advertising agency of record, Huntington Beach-based Innocean USA, produced two 30-second ads over the holidays.
Hyundai said the first spot, titled “Dad’s Sixth Sense,” will appear during the game’s first quarter.
It will feature “the near-misses and saves of everyday parenting,” all while showcasing the automatic emergency braking capabilities of its luxury sedan, Genesis. The second spot, dubbed “Nice,” will employ humor to highlight Elantra’s performance and function.
“Cars have become more than just a means of transportation—they play an active role in many parts of our lives,” Steve Shannon, Hyundai’s vice president of marketing, said in a news release. “Our creative campaign this year highlights how Hyundai continues to be ‘there for you’ and your family.”
Greg Braun, executive creative director at Innocean, said in the release that “each year we challenge ourselves to come up with a new, inspiring way to showcase Hyundai during the biggest TV event of the year.”
“This year we were able to take two different approaches to our spots—from fun and comedic, to endearing and sentimental—while still focusing on the essence of Hyundai,” Braun said.
The agency recently welcomed Bridgett Judd as vice president and executive digital director, a new position. Judd will lead the agency’s digital operations, charged with keeping it on the cusp of technological innovations. She will report directly to Brad Fogel, Innocean’s chief operating officer.
Adaptive Buys Ember Inc.
Irvine-based Adaptive Medias Inc., a content monetization provider, said last month that it acquired Ember Inc.
Ember, a real-time bidding platform, functions like an auction for the buying and selling of ad impressions, which content publishers use to allow advertisers to set ad bid prices, networks and the types of consumers they’re trying to reach.
Ember was launched in 2012 out of the Los Angeles-based accelerator StartEngine, which helps tech startups get off the ground by providing financing.
“Adding serious intellectual property and engineering horsepower is huge for us,” Qayed Shareef, the company’s chief executive, said in a news release. “Billions of ad dollars are shifting toward programmatic buying, as advertisers are demanding control, transparency and proactive anti-fraud measures around where their dollars are spent. The Ember platform positions us to be a serious player in this space.”
Cash for Cause
PBS SoCal in Costa Mesa is one of the 17 PBS stations that will share $150,000 in grants to support community activities connected with two award-winning documentaries.
The community activities and films—titled “American Promise” and “Brooklyn Castle”—are part of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s public media initiative, which aims to help improve high school graduation rates.
PBS SoCal “will engage community stakeholders in discussions around key issues and solutions raised in the films, including the value of afterschool programs and ways to close the black male achievement gap.”
American Documentary Inc. in Brooklyn, N.Y., funded the grants.
