A phenomenon, the Kia Soul advertising campaign of last year has become. Winner of a Silver Effie award in 2010, named “Automotive Ad of the Year” by Nielsen Automotive Advertising, at the core of a new clothing line and the reason behind of a special edition Kia Soul, the hamsters have done it again this year, snatching their second Effie, this time a gold one.
The”This or That” campaign (the first one, the one that started all the madness, was titled "A New Way To Roll"), as Kia named its insane advertising stunt, was rewarded with a gold medal in the "David v. Goliath" category at the 2011 North American Effie Awards, as one of the best small brands that take on the giants of their respective line of business.
If there was any more need to prove that smart advertising really works, then this is it: after the hamster campaign hit, Kia Soul sales went through the roof, the South Koreans selling more than 10,000 units in a single month.
"The segment-busting Soul was the first vehicle introduced under Kia's design-led transformation and was conceived to stand out in a sea of sameness with its refreshing design, outstanding functionality, variety of personalization options and tremendous value," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, Kia Motors America.
"The 'This or That' campaign embodied the spirit of the Soul in a highly engaging way that really resonated with consumers and marketers alike – as evidenced by our second consecutive Effie award.
