The Kia Hamsters have come a long way. In a new, epic 1:30, the Hamsters find themselves on stage in an 18th century opera house livening things up. Entitled “Bringing Down the House” and set to “In My Mind” (remixed by Axwell), the hamsters take over an ornate theater with a shocking (to stuffy 18th century, wig wearing patrons) display of modern music, high-energy dance moves, a laser light show and a balcony stage dive that gets the audience on their feet and digging the futuristic vibe.
The commercial will debut in 18,000 movie theaters inside National CineMedia’s FirstLook pre-show program on August 31. Television will follow during the MTV Music Awards on September 6.
Over the years, the hamsters have progressed from early onset hipsters to full blown hip hop stars to video game heros to, with this outing, time-travelling entertainers for all generations. And this outing is truly epic. Wall of sound-style brilliance.
David&Goliath, creator of the campaign since its inception, has always worked towards placing the hamsters at the forefront of pop culture and emerging music scene. The latest ad continues in that vein. With a wide variety of soundtracks ranging from the classic hip-hop track “The Choice Is Yours” by Black Sheep to LMFAO’s smash hit “Party Rock Anthem,” previous Soul campaigns have had success in raising consumer awareness and perception and helped Kia become the fastest-growing car company in the U.S. over the last five years.
With more than 20 million views, 2011’s “Share Some Soul” is the third most-watched automotive ad in YouTube history, and last year the hamsters were recognized as the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame’s first-ever “Rookie of the Year” after being named the “Automotive Ad of the Year” for two straight years by Nielsen Automotive.
Of it’s work for Kia, David&Goliath Founder and CCD David Angelo said, “Since the launch of the Soul in 2009, music has been a driving force in moving the Kia brand into the mainstream and connecting with consumers in a more relevant and conversational way. Our theme line, ‘A new way to roll,’ enables us to always bring a fresh musical perspective to each Soul execution while staying current with the latest pop culture trends. In ‘Bringing Down the House,’ we take the conventional approach of remix and turn it on its head by blending the worlds of electronic dance music and opera in a way that is both musically and visually unexpected.”
Musically and visually unexpected is right. This one will be hard to top. But we’ll be waiting with baited breath to se what David&Goliath come up with next year.
