What We See: Although the opening footage and sound track suggest we're about to witness something dramatic, this spot essentially just shows the recently redesigned Kia Sedona minivan whizzing around an oval test track at night. The exterior detail shots suggest speed and style, but the real surprise is what's inside; not one, but four white-clad test drivers, all of whom look suspiciously like the iconic Top Gear wheelman, the Stig. The voiceover announcer tells us what the vehicle isn't ("It's not a sports car . . . it's not a compromise"), but leaves it up to us to decipher what exactly what the Sedona is.
What We Think: This spot is both brilliant and senseless in equal measure. The idea of using the white racing suits and helmets is pure genius; who better to communicate the performance capabilities of the car you're advertising than the Stig!? Even better, I'm guessing Kia didn't have to pay any royalties. BBC and Top Gear may own the character's name, but the internet is awash with generic white driving suits, and cue-ball helmets have been around since leather gave way to compound plastics in the 1950s. So score one for the Kia ad guys for creating a valuable asset using nothing more than wardrobe.
But how they squandered that asset is baffling: Instead of using one Stig to drive the Sedona to its limit to make the performance point, they use multiple Stigs: one who rides shotgun and fidgets with the GPS (on a racetrack?), one engrossed in his iPad, and one trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. If Kia wanted to suggest that the Sedona is a minivan that doesn't compromise on performance, why not show Mrs. Stig in the passenger seat and two Stiglets in the back, all wearing appropriately sized white suits and helmets? Establishing the Sedona as the Stig family minivan would have been a coup. But to use four Stigs and squander three of them as crash-test dummies left me shaking my head.
Of course, then Kia went and digitally altered the the helmets from white to black for the version now posted on its official U.S. YouTube channel. Score the riposte to the Beeb's lawyers.
RATING: 2 out of 5
- 2015 Kia Sedona Driven: Kia's Updated Multipurposed MPV Thing
- 2014 Honda Odyssey Tested: Still the Best When It Comes to Minivans
- Kia Sedona Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
Award-winning ad man–cum–auto journalist Don Klein knows a good (or bad) car commercial when he sees one; this is his space to tell you what he thinks of the latest spots. The ad's rating is depicted on a scale of one (terrible) to five (transcendent), but everyone has an opinion when it comes to advertising, so hit Backfires below and tell us what you think, too. And be sure to read more of Don's advertising critiques here.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment