Kia’s bizarre Nadal versus Alien video

This has got to be the most bizarre attempt at a viral video that an automaker has ever come up with. Kia’s seemingly completely random video featuring tennis personality Rafael Nadal and the Kia pro_cee’d 3-door hatchback first shows Nadal playing a tennis match against an alien. Which seems normal enough.

Then the alien sprouts multiple hands, sending a barrage of tennis balls across the court to Nadal, followed by a football. The tennis match suddenly becomes a football match. Suddenly four mini-Nadals come out of Nadal, they do a little “dance” and proceed with a Voltron-ish transformation sequence. Nadal then puts his fists into the mouths and his feet into the butts of the mini-Nadals, and “joins” with them.

UPDATE: Kia has updated the video with a version that shows the mini-Nadal Voltron “shoes” hold on to his feet rather than Nadal wearing them like shoes. I’ve updated the video in good faith to reflect the new version at the request of Kia Motors.

After defeating the alien by kicking a football through it and into the goal, Nadal then transforms into a Kia pro_cee’d, which drives away.

According to Jay Jungyub Yoo, Kia’s manager for Global Online Marketing and CRM, “All advertisers are trying very hard to find unique mediums in which to deliver their key messages and promote their brands. It looks like just “being unique” seems to be easier than “being effective” sometimes.”

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • elpaciko (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 3:30 pm

    it reminds me at michael jacksons moonwalker… the dance and the man to car transformation stuff…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • azrai (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 3:47 pm

    Plastecines Pingu style ad with Voltron in idea towrads tranformers. Huhu. Look childish enough. Still a creative ad.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • AmiR (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 5:00 pm

    the idea is from power rangers n transformers..xD..

    anyway its funny.. :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • munky (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    all i can say is… WTF !!!>?!?!?!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • superookie (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 6:09 pm

    agree wif azrai.. this is voltron style..
    miss those old days.. colourful lions.. lol

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • ENZO (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 6:21 pm

    totally,cant say anything other then WTF

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • crasher7 (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 7:43 pm

    meaningless

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • MyviKiller (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 9:02 pm

    What the…? This is sooo effective! Funny really.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • mystvearn (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 10:09 pm

    hmm.
    I just saw micheal jackson+transformers+bruce lee?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • osh_kosh (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 11:53 pm

    LOL… :)) pity all those cute mini-Nadal.. that what i call ‘a pain in the ass’ hahaha.. look painfull enuff

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • csv (Member) on May 24, 2008 at 11:58 pm

    1 word….weird…..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • kei9 (Member) on May 25, 2008 at 9:00 am

    Funny!!! But seems meanigless.. Who cares!! I enjoyed it. XD

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • jtshin (Member) on May 25, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    It’s good. The advert comes with the word Kia from start till the end which magnify the brand. It is really unique and different from others. I think it’s good.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • tbcheese (Member) on May 25, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    what the f……..!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • theanswer (Member) on May 25, 2008 at 6:41 pm

    meaningless..but advertising is all about attraction..so, they succeed.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Sue (Member) on May 25, 2008 at 6:47 pm

    … *speechless*
    Funny. Uh, maybe.

    But will it make anyone want to be seen driving that car? Transformed from stuffed… ‘Nadal’?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • mokkf82 (Member) on May 25, 2008 at 9:59 pm

    WTH!!!!!
    What is this? sticking your leg into kid’s butt!
    Sexual harassment!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • claxxion (Member) on May 25, 2008 at 11:48 pm

    lol that was funny… and i was laughing at the voltron reference, right up to the pose!

    and gosh, the clay model sure looks like nadal… :-O

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • mitlanevo (Member) on May 27, 2008 at 12:18 am

    Djokovic is better…!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • RROSSAA (Member) on Feb 02, 2009 at 3:55 am

    I love Kia and I love Rafa your ad is great but just too long.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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