Rapper Melle Mel makes Kia The Message
Melle Mel and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five member Scorpio become a driver’s imaginary friends in a new spot for the Kia Sportage featuring classic rap track The Message.
The ad has been created by Kia’s in-house agency Innocean in conjunction with Prodigy director Tim Bullock.
It features a mild white man reliving his youth while popping out for some nappies.
Steve Watt, national marketing manager of Kia said: “We wanted to use popular culture to humanise the brand and show its more youthful side. The launch of the Sportage is extremely important for us and will play a significant part in Kia’s ongoing success in the Australian market.”
Amanda Wheeler, General Manager of Innocean said: “At the core of this campaign is a simple insight about growing up, but not wanting to grow old. When we spoke to potential customers they recognised that they were going to be buying a more practical vehicle but didn’t want to give up all of the fun in their life. This insight ties perfectly in with the offering of the new Sportage, a stylish, but practical SUV and combined with a great creative execution has resulted in a fun and memorable campaign.”
Bullock added: “Getting to work with Melle Mel and Scorpio – two of not only the coolest but nicest guys on the planet – well, that was simply awesome.”
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A few more of these ads, and Kia will be in my “consideration set”. Its a long journey for a brand to re-position itself for middleaged wanna be dudes who have to face the reality of their situation….everyday ! I liked it.
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Props to anyone putting Grandmaster Flash in an ad. Nice performance from the lead too.
But why are all those people staring dumbstruck as the Kia drives past? It’s just a normal bloke driving a normal car down a normal street singing to himself. Yet people are staring slack-jawed like the Pope is riding an elephant through their neighborhood, accompanied by a troupe of burlesque dancers on stilts.
Such a pathetic ad-cliche.. the “dumbstruck stare”. Never happens in the real world, only in AdWorld. I know Bullock is trying to make 45 seconds of ‘car driving down street’ interesting, but really… the “stare” should be banned, along with redheaded weird looking kids.
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Truly nice work and an insight sadly missing (or badly told) in most other car comms. Well done.
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Hi Hmmm,
I think you’re reading the “dumstruck stare” wrong. Time to turn up the irony detector a tad I think.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I saw this on the telly as 30sec and I laughed and thought – yeh nice. I had no idea the rappers were the real guys. Neither would 99% of punters but a nice touch all the same.
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Right song, wrong car.
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What does the insight have to do with the car?
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its just so bad its good
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Yeah no idea who they were. Could have been anyone. The ad itself wasn’t offensive though and that’s a bonus these days. The car is middle aged, middle class, defeat personified.
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I’d imagine that anyone that didn’t recognise Melle Mel are under 35 and not in Kia’s target market – I don’t think they would be too upset about that.
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Granted this ad is funny – But does nobody think this is just a poor man’s version of the same concept – done better by Toyota with their Sienna TVC?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4
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Irony detector must be malfunctioning today, unfortunately. But my familiarity detector is working alright because I just remembered that Toyota did this whole thing extremely well not too long ago. Worth a look if you’ve got a couple of minutes.
(I still think all dumbstruck stares should be banned, along with weird ginger kids AND women eyerolling the camera after their hubby/bf does something seriously dumb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4
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Well I love it! it is enough to make me consider buying one of these cars now!
Had to go to you tube after seeing the ad a few times, found the original there! Loved it as well!! Then found Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight!! There is another one KIA, you will dominate the airwaves, tv coverage and watercooler talk!!
Well done in a lame and lazy advertising market!!
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I don’t know or care if this ad is effective – but I’m REALLY thankful sameone paid for these guys to come to Australia and have some fun…their appearance on GNW was absolute gold
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Props to Innocean. Great insight, Great idea, Well executed.
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Ballsy idea, ballsy client –
nice job!
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Credits?
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I LOVE THIS COMMERCIAL!
I drive a Kia Rio to now I just have to decide who is imaginarily going to sitting next time…big decision ahead. Maybe Delta Goodrem or Kylie could make an appearance? Or perhaps John Farnham on my bad days…haha
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AND the Kia is actually funny and quirky. The Toyota one goes for too long and is just plain daggy and cringe worthy.
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Yep, this ad made me caaa-ringe – but the awkward-looking white man trying to do black also made me chuckle….
And admittedly it’s a much better effort than this directories brand in the UK called 118 118 which somehow managed to convince Ray Parker Jr to sing a version of his classic Ghostbusters song….. so bad, oh so bad….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqnRdSPv2IE
And if you’re game, there’s even a TWO MINUTE VERSION….. why Ray Parker Jr, why???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZw87CSV-o4
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OK, so the bar is pretty low but that is by so far the coolest Kia thing I’ve ever seen. The Swagger Wagon (via Saxon Shirley) is well worth a look. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a whole new level.
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is it ironic because if you own a KIA you will spend a lot of time “pushing it”?
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@Saxon Shirley I was wondering if anybody had spotted that too. Kinda samey… just sayin’
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Well played Simon Rush.
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Interesting comments here – particularly those around class and age. Provides a truly sad insight into how many people align a car with their self-worth. Pathetic – if you took the Kia badge off and slapped a BMW, Merc or even VW badge on it, most of you would be drooling.
Great ad, great song and I am sure the car has a solid place in many people’s lives who choose to define themselves as individuals, not through their car
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it made me smile. Forwarded it to all my Gen X friends who are as fanatical about hip hop as only a white kid from Ireland can be. Win
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Entertaining. Everyday kind-of moment. Everyday kind-of car. Fits.
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I like it. Love the track, like the insight and think the car looks good. not sure I’m quite ready to buy one yet but definitely improving.
just quietly….are ay agencies producing better car advertising tghan innocean right now?
shokcign spelling in last mail. my hmble apolagees
Just another voice that it feels heavily influenced by ‘Swagger Wagon’.
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Nick w seems a “great supporter”??
This spot does not even rate against the Toyota Swagger Wagon verision.
To his question – hard to beat Mazda Zoom-Zoom I would think..and the punters seem to agree.
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I loved this ad when I saw it last night during the 6 o’clock news. I’m 32 years old and use to listen to this song back in the day and it was really good to go back down memory lane a bit.
It repositioned the Kia Sportage in my mind from a brand I would never consider because its a wagon and I have no need for one in my life to a brand I would seriously consider as a lifestyle accessory.
I’m so glad I’m single though and not married and don’t have to rely on trips to get the nappies to get my dose of old school.
I think they should run with this theme of “growing up and not growing old”. They could apply it across their range of vehicles and make this their tagline.
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I googled “Who made the Kia Sportage advert?” because I wanted to find somewhere to leave feedback about this advert. I liked it so much I wanted the makers of it to know what I, a potential customer, thought. A 25 yr old mother of 3 young children under 5 yrs of age I was drawn to find out more about the car this person was driving and normally I completely ignore adverts lol. I loved the advert because I do the same thing when influenced by soul moving music xD
This advert brings out the entertainment factor of a car.
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Catchy, light, entertaining. Good ad. Casting and performance also very good as the hero isn’t swallowed up by the “guest stars” but seems comfortable as one of the gang. Good work talent!
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YOU KILLED A GREAT SONG! Was cool – now not!!
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Wow, who woulda thought gangstars would sell out for a car…
Lol, i guess it’s not as bad as having them cruise around in one in their video-clips, but hey… who the hell would drive around in one of these on mtv.
I Saw grandmaster flash at the Espy last year. Was so excited!!
..It was the biggest waste of petrol money in my life (got the ticket for free thank god). He has no skills, it was just a quick “hey im grandmaster flash, i was huge 15 years ago, so i’ll use my name to sell tickets, then not even use the decks”.
Kia obviously arent concerned (edited by MUmbrella for legal reasons).. The guy who wrote the song has done nothing but grow old.
Shame on you Grandmaster Flash, And Shame on you Kia.
Shame Shame Shame.
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some of the comments in this thread are on drugs.
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As a younger man i.e just below 30, who is actually looking to purchase a new car you would think that I would be in the ideal demographic for this ad, minus the children.
Unfortunately I found this ad repulsive, cringe-worthy and felt as if it was thrown together like a last minute university essay. So much so that I now would not buy a Kia out of plain spite of my hatred of this ad.
I think Metlink still seems to be the top of my transport advertising, their ads actually made me want to take public transport. (and that’s a serious feat)
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Reminds me of when me and a mate went out to get roof paint and came back with a Jack Russell puppy.. his wife was not happy
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Considering I have seen approximately 500 car TVCs in the past 10 years, and haven’t remember one since “bugger”, I think some of you are particularly harsh. That is a great TVC, and even greater because it connects with a bunch of dads who probably need a car like that. ie – I think it will sell product.
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It reminds me of the libra ad where the guy gets busted for playing with the pads. The male characters are portrayed in the same way (being silly), with the gf/wife pulling them up. Which makes me wonder if females will drive Kia sales… if that’s who they were really trying to convince?
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The message has been lost in the ad.
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the haters on this thread are all nappy-wearing whingers so are not within the target audience and should be ignored. When you grow up you’ll understand what this ad achieves to the young fathers its targetting
the song makes the ad and is seminal as it was arguably the first commercially successful rap track
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Love it, love it, love it but I can’t stop singing this song now. Surely there has to be a follow up?! (btw, is the guy from Thank God You’re Here?)
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