The multi-phase campaign, developed with agency David & Goliath, is based on four interlinked spots telling the story of Oakland Raiders’ Josh Jacobs and shining the spotlight on youth homelessness.
Jacob’s journey took him from a homeless youth to a first-round draft pick and the campaign not only tells the story of the sacrifices he, his father and his community had to make to keep the family together, but also supports so many others who have to go through such struggles.
The creative spans teasers and a supporting documentary-style short film, as well as the central Big Game commercial and sees the first round draft pick, The star running back grew up poor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, including enduring a stint of homelessness while in middle school, in conversation with his younger self.
The campaign also kicks off the automaker’s ‘Yards Against Homelessness’ charity initiative which will see Kia donate $1,000 for every yard gained during the Super Bowl to three charities dedicated to the cause.
The core campaign began with a full-blown 40-second teaser called ‘Run For’, which is set in a fictional press conference for the young Jacobs, was released on 23 January.
This was followed a week later by a second 40-second teaser called ‘Tunnel’ which, like the first spot, explores who and what the Raiders’ star runs for.
The hero Big Game commercial itself, called ‘Tough Never Quits’, was pre-released on 29 January and will run in the game’s third quarter.
It sees Jacobs driving around his home town of Tulsa in a new Kia Seltos AWD SUV. He spots a young boy running in the street and gives him a ride. The kid turns out to be a younger Jacobs and he shares words of inspiration: “Josh, it’s going to be hard growing up homeless. But you’ve got to believe in yourself, be tougher than the world around you.” They arrive at the football field where Jacobs played as a kid and he tells his younger self to “push yourself to be someone and I promise someday you will.”
The Big Game ad is also supported by a short film, ‘The Josh Jacobs Story – Kia’s Big Game Ad Documentary’, running across the brand’s US digital and social platforms,
The work all encourages viewers to join in the fight against youth homelessness with a call-to-action to visit the initiative’s bespoke web page athttp://kia.com/GiveItEverything (and to learn more about the new Kia Seltos at: https://www.kia.com/us/en/seltos #GiveItEverything).
Comment:
Amidst an avalanche of celebrity fronted auto maker ads in the Big Game (many of which adopt the tried and tested formula of celebrity endorsers, stunt drivers and mass market humour), Kia’s work stands out not just for its emotional power and serious subject matter (Audi, for example, is also running an ad focused on the serious theme of the environment)
but for its synergy with the Super Bowl and its philanthropic, provocative attempt to tackle a worsening problem in the USA.
We applaud the approach.
This is the 11th consecutive year in which Kia has made a Super Bowl appearance.
Links:
Kia Motors America
https://www.youtube.com/user/KiaMotorsAmerica
http://instagram.com/kiamotorsusa/
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