Cross-Country Quickly in Kia’s SUV

Advertiser: Kia Motors America

Agency: Goldberg Moser O’Neill, San Francisco

Challenge: Persuade auto buyers that the new Kia Sportage sport-utility convertible, while inexpensive, is durable and fun to drive.

The Ad: Ed, an affable braggart, takes three passengers on a tour of important places in his life. The commercial begins with a row of brownstones in a city in the East where Ed grew up. Next is the high-rise where Ed worked before quitting “to become an Indian.” Ed tools past the Grand Canyon to the Golden Gate (he designed the bridge) and on to a redwood forest (he planted the trees). Ed asks if he should keep driving the vehicle, and his friends say yes.

Comment: With its South Korean parent in financial trouble, Kia needs to reassure consumers worried about quality. And previous Sportage models have ranked low in owner satisfaction ratings. In taking viewers on a 30-second cross-country trip, Kia implies that the Sportage is durable. And by showing four adults enjoying a long trip, the commercial also implies that the Sportage is comfortable and enough fun to compensate for a bore like Ed. $$$