Rolling out from 6 February to leverage spiking tennis interest at the start of the 2021 Australian Open, a hero commercial called ‘Movement That Inspires’ sits at the heart of Kia’s multi-channel tournament activation which focused on the Australian reveal of the brand’s logo and platform refresh and its new ‘Movement That Inspires’ tagline.
The reworked brand assets, positioning and approach all aim to better represent Kia’s strategy to establish itself as a leader in the ‘future mobility market’ and a totemic brand for change and innovation focused around inspiring customers as their mobility needs evolve (as well as popularising electric vehicles).
The activation’s global media strand is spearheaded by a TV and online spot fronted by long-time brand ambassador Rafael Nadal who outlines how the places he has visited and the people he has met are key sources of his inspiration.
The lead ad is supported by an online series of 45-second online films which each explore an area of the Spanish player’s sources of inspiration: including Family, Ocean and Rivalry.
All the videos end with the copy ‘Discover What Inspires You’ and the brand’s new ‘Movement That Inspires’ tagline.
One of the longest sporting partnerships in Australian history, Kia celebrates its 20th anniversary as the major partner of the Australian Open in 2021 and the Nadal series is just one part of Kia’s multi-channel, Australian Open global and local activation programme.
Other global work includes a ‘Make Your Move’ virtual, social tennis rally for fans around the world (created by agency WeAreFearless), while Kia’s new logo and brand slogan are highlighted in diverse formats via an array of digital channels, onsite activations and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Weibo throughout the tournament.
While the local programme, which was led by agency Bastion Collective (with experiential and event production handled by Bastion EBA, media, PR and influencer amplification through Bastion Effect and content created by Bastion Films) was led by a key-handover event (attended by Aussie tennis stars Dylan Alcott and Nick Kyrgios) for the auto sponsor’s 130-strong tournament fleet (which includes Kia Australia’s first electric vehicle – the Niro) dedicated to ensuring players, officials, media and VIP guests are ‘transported securely and in style’.
20 years of partnership with @Kia_Worldwide!
Thanks @NickKyrgios and @DylanAlcott for helping us celebrate today and kick off #AO2021. The new Kia logo looks incredible ✨ #Kia | #MovementThatInspires | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Oy0vAZh63x
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 7, 2021
The company’s new logo is also showcased at the Grand Slam Oval venue itself with virtual signage projections including the surface of the tennis court and on the net where visibility is high for maximum exposure to TV audiences. Plus, the new logo is seen over the duration of the tournament on brand banners, flags and official vehicles, reflecting Kia’s exclusive major partnership role.
Plus, to help ensure the safety of the participants attending the Open, Kia is providing reusable masks imprinted with the logos of Kia and Rafael Nadal Foundation.
Due to the pandemic, the Australian Open format has had to adapt and Kia’s activation approach has evolved too: its on-ground presence at Grand Slam Oval in the Melbourne Park precinct aims to bring the company’s new brand evolution to life not only for in-person tennis-goers, but for the wider broadcast and digital audience across Australia and around the world.
This includes a first of its kind LED digital cube display called ‘Kia-Morphia’ – a 12-metre wide by 2.6-metre-tall screen – which was created with agency Bastion Collective and offers an immersive, 3D anamorphic illusion created to represent the new brand ‘Movement that Inspires’ concept.
It features impressive animations of Rafael Nadal in action, Kia’s new EV vehicle range and visuals that recreate natural elements to represent the new brand direction, Kia-Morphia showcases a visual feast like no other.
Kia also teamed up with tennis racquet equipment and clothing company Babolat, another long-time sponsor of Nadal, for a partnership that will display the new Kia logo on the Spanish tennis legend’s equipment bag throughout the tournament iteration.
Kia Australia CEO James Cho said the 20th anniversary reflects the strength of the relationship and shared values that exist between Kia and the Australian Open.
“There are few things as exhilarating as watching a tennis game in motion – especially at one of the biggest and most enduring sporting events in the world. The two-decade long partnership between Kia and the Australian Open is a true representation of the passion that exists for the sport,” commented Cho. “The growth and evolution that both Kia and the Australian Open have undergone over the past 20 years is extraordinary. At a time when we have been faced with such unprecedented challenges, we are entering our next phase of growth and innovation as a brand. We are extremely excited for everything that is to come.”
Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley added: “Kia has helped drive the success of the Australian Open over the past 20 years, and we’re grateful for their on-going commitment to the tournament. In a chapter full of firsts for the Australian Open, Kia Australia’s first-ever hybrid electric vehicle will debut among the fleet of 130 Kia courtesy vehicles, which will transport players and tournament officials. This is an exciting sustainable evolution of the Australian Open, and we are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership with Kia.”
Comment:
The 2021 AO activation programme is just one major strand of Kia’s global brand repositioning which saw the auto giant introduce a new logo and a brand platform called ‘Movement That Inspires based around showing the world the potential of movement to inspire creativity’.
The 2021 work follows on from Kia’s 2020 and 2019 Australian Open activation programmes.
Links:
Kia
Australian Open
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