Music-Loving Hamsters Feature in Kia Digital Ad Campaign

RMN Digital | May 27, 2016 | Feature, Lifestyle, Masses, Video | No Comments

Beginning in movie theaters this weekend, Kia Motors’ music-loving hamsters will be back in a new campaign for the Soul urban passenger vehicle.

Set to appear on more than 34,000 screens in National CineMedia’s FirstLook pre-show program beginning today, the 60-second “Soul Jam” spot opens on an idyllic park setting with Nathaniel Rateliff, front man of roots sensation, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, trading guitar licks with a banjo-playing hamster who arrives on the scene in a Soul.

In the digital media universe where brands can woo the buyers with more engaging video content such as short films and infomercials, the typical 30- or 60-second ad spots have lost their relevance.

These traditional TVCs are mostly confusing and end before you blink. Obviously, they fail to deliver the right brand message in the market. Marketers and ad agencies need to evolve with the evolving market paradigm and use engaging digital video formats.

Rakesh Raman

As additional hamsters join the fray, what begins as a friendly game of musical one-upmanship morphs into a world music inspired jam session and dance party as nearby city-dwellers join in with instruments of their own, ranging from a sitar and African and Korean Drums to a ukulele, bagpipes, violins and more.

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“Soul Jam” required nearly 3,000 hours of computer generated imagery (CGI) work to bring the hamsters to life. And to ensure authenticity, ethnomusicologists, including Dr. Steven Loza, chair of the UCLA Herb Albert School of Music’s Department of Ethnomusicology, helped curate the jam session featuring authentic instruments, dance and clothing from around the world.

Created by David&Goliath, Kia’s advertising agency of record, the “The World Needs More Soul” campaign includes an extended cut of “Soul Jam” as well as broadcast, social media, digital and out-of-home elements.

In addition, the “Soul Sessions” online video takes viewers inside the recording studio for an exclusive look at the collaborative and creative process behind the creation of the “Soul Jam” soundtrack with Nathaniel Rateliff and music producer duo BUNT.

Photo / Video courtesy: Kia Motors