For its 10th consecutive year advertising during the Super Bowl, Kia Motors America took an unconventional approach.  Instead of the usual celebrity glitz and glamour, Kia used its 90-second spot to honor the working-class spirit of Americans nationwide and reintroduce the brand through its upcoming all-new flagship SUV, the 2020 Kia Telluride. 

Kia’s 360-degree “Give It Everything” marketing campaign kicked off with the Super Bowl spot of the same name. The ad opened on a young boy who hails from West Point, Georgia, and who stated, “We are not famous. There are no stars in a sidewalk for us. No statues in our honor. We’re just a small Georgia town of complete unknowns.” He continued, “Because we are not known for who we are, we hope to be known for what we do. What we build.” The viewer then saw the first glimpse of the all-new 2020 Kia Telluride SUV, as the voiceover continued, “No, we are not famous. But we are incredible. And we make incredible things.”  The spot, which aired during the third quarter, ended with the tagline: “Give It Everything.”

Designed with the U.S. market in mind at Kia’s design studio in California, and assembled in Georgia^*, the big, bold and boxy Telluride will travel down the same manufacturing line as the award-winning Sorento^*, the highest-ranked Midsize SUV in the most recent J.D. Power Initial Quality Study and proof positive that high-quality American-built vehicles are not just from Detroit.

New Brand Positioning: Give It Everything

For years, Kia remained humble and somewhat unnoticed as it honed and perfected each vehicle in the brand’s world-class lineup. The tagline, “Give It Everything” highlights Kia’s unstoppable spirit to try harder, work smarter, build better and sweat every detail, and will be part of all Kia advertising and marketing campaigns moving forward.

“Today marks a new direction for Kia and one that has been a long time in the making,” said Saad Chehab, vice president, marketing communications, Kia Motors America. “We’ve spent the last 10-plus years quietly improving our vehicles by hiring the best designers, engineers and assembly line workers. In other words, ‘Giving It Everything.’ And instead of using a celebrity in our Super Bowl ad, we chose to honor the hard-working people of America, starting with the thousands of men and women at our U.S.-based manufacturing plant. At Kia, we are fueled by an unstoppable spirit to try harder, work smarter and sweat every detail, and this year our spotlight shines on people who have defied odds and exceeded expectations. People like us.”

Highlighting the spirit of the brand’s team members, the campaign also unveils Just a Small Georgia Town, a short form documentary that uncovers the story of West Point, GA., the small town that rose from the ashes of a collapsed textile industry, relying on only its courage to see it through to the other side, before finally finding new life when Kia opened its new plant there in 2009. This documentary is available on the web at www.thegreatunknowns.org.

“This is an open invitation to Americans to consider the Kia brand when looking for a new vehicle,” continued Chehab. “All of us that work at Kia are just like the hard-working folks in that small town of West Point and small towns throughout the country. We work hard and want more from the companies we engage with. That’s why Kia vehicles include more features and options, more warranty and more quality than the competition. As the number one mainstream brand in initial quality for the past four years according to J.D. Power, Kia is the brand that does, in fact, “Give It Everything.”

The Great Unknowns Scholarship

In an unusual move, the money saved by not paying a celebrity for this year’s Super Bowl ad will be used to create The Great Unknowns Scholarship,  to assist eligible students who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs. The goal is to discover and reward young Americans who embody the spirit of “Give It Everything,” and help them pursue their academic dreams. For more information on the “The Great Unknowns Scholarship”, including eligibility requirements and application process, visit www.thegreatunknowns.org.

“The Great Unknowns Scholarship is Kia’s way of fostering the next generation of amazing professionals, the ones that will keep America profitable, grow the economy and give back to their communities. These are the ones that Give It Everything and we look forward to their contributions to America,” continued Chehab.

Other elements of the integrated campaign include print, digital, social and outdoor. Post-Super Bowl, a sustain phase will follow with 30 and 15 second cutdowns of “Give It Everything” along with heavy-duty features-led spots for the Telluride, including a Presidents’ Day spot. The digital rollout includes static and HTML5 banners across Lifestyle and Shopping websites and four feature-focused videos that will run in pre-roll. Social assets include social skins, GIFs, Instagram stories, Facebook Carousel and Canvas units through the remainder of the campaign.