Kia Australia has confirmed its entry into the local Light Commercial Vehicle market with the launch of a new TV commercial featuring 20 of Australia’s most iconic sporting figures.
Coinciding with the LCV announcement, Kia will also commence taking Expressions of Interest on their website for any Australian looking to be kept up to date during the vehicle’s road to launch.
The backdrop for the advertisement is an iconic Australian pub where the sporting legends debate what the Kia ute should be named. The Kia ute is due to be unveiled in late 2024, with the first Australian examples expected to hit local roads in 2025.
Kia Australia Chief Executive Officer, Damien Meredith said, “Kia Australia has always been very candid about our desire to bring a Light Commercial Vehicle to the local market, so it is with great excitement that we are taking an important step towards it becoming a reality.”
“We are now officially taking Expressions of Interest (EOI) on the Kia Australia website, for both private and fleet customers, and we invite all ute-loving Australians to sign up and join us on the journey.”
“As an incentive, the EOI group will be kept up to date of the latest news and developments from now, right up until its Australian launch in 2025.”
“This includes an extensive local ride and handling program, covering tens of thousands of unrelenting Aussie kilometres, to ensure it meets the hard-working requirements of the Aussie public.”
Kia Australia General Manager of Marketing, Dean Norbiato said that the inspiration for the TVC came from the time-honoured Aussie tradition of everyone having a nickname.
“We were looking for a unique and quintessentially Aussie way to launch Kia’s most Australian product ever – our ute – and what better way than to bring together our country’s most iconic themes – sporting heroes, nicknames and an old-fashioned Aussie watering hole,” Mr Norbiato said.
The campaign is arguably the biggest cast of famous faces in an Australian TV commercial, boasting between them 29 Premierships, four Paralympic gold medals, four World Championships, 26 Grand Slams, 1 Golden Slam, three Melbourne Cups, six sporting captains, two Australians of the Year, two Young Australians of the Year and nine Hall of Fame entrants.
The TVC can be viewed here.
