Debuting ahead of the big game, Kia returns to the Super Bowl with a :60-second spot featuring the all-new, all-electric Kia EV6, the brand’s first dedicated battery electric vehicle. The EV6 is the first of 11 all-new electrified models Kia will introduce globally by 2026 under Kia’s Plan S strategy. The comprehensive marketing campaign includes broadcast, print, out-of-home and social media elements, a special Robo Dog “Turn Around Dance” on TikTok and a QR Code-based “Robo Dogmented Reality” experience that allows users to search for adoptable animals in their local areas through a partnership with the Petfinder Foundation.
Kia’s 13th Super Bowl spot, entitled “Robo Dog,” opens on an electronics store where a lonely robotic puppy stares out the window as a “real” dog is lovingly petted by a passerby out for a walk. Robo Dog then notices a young man unplug his Kia EV6 from a charging station and drive away, leaving Robo Dog even more dejected. As “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler begins to play, the door to the store opens and Robo Dog seizes the opportunity to give chase to the man in the EV6. Robo Dog is confronted with a series of obstacles that sap his energy and put even more time and distance between him and the object of his affection. Anticipating that he can cut the EV6 off Robo Dog rides an elevator to the roof of a building and watches the car approach on the street below. Taking a leap of faith and on his last moments of charge, Robo Dog hurls toward the open sunroof of the EV6.
Robo Dog’s eyes slowly open and he sees the young man kneeling over him. He realizes he’s been plugged into the EV6, using the model’s innovative onboard charger, fully recharging his battery, and illustrating not only the innovation of the EV6, but also the depth of the human-animal bond.
“The EV6 marks the beginning of Kia as a sustainable mobility solutions provider and is the next step in our shift to electrification,” said Russell Wager, vice president, marketing, Kia America. “To introduce over 100 million viewers to the Kia EV6, we wanted to juxtapose the future with the emotions we all know and understand today – the love that can be shared between a human and an animal.”
Kia’s Super Bowl spot is part of an integrated marketing campaign that includes a partnership between the automaker and the Petfinder Foundation designed to help shelter animals find their forever homes. The initiative is the latest under the brand’s celebrated Accelerate The Good Program which has also contributed to help students in need achieve their goals of higher education and the fight against youth homelessness.
“At Kia, we continue to give back to the communities in which we work and live,” continued Wager. “We looked at issues that needed attention and found that during the pandemic, many animals were adopted only to sadly be returned later, so we wanted to help.”
