Multifaceted Campaign for the All-New 2015 K900 Flagship Finds Morpheus Challenging Preconceived Notions and Opening Minds to a Side of Luxury Never Seen Before

• 60-second “The Truth” spot is scheduled to air in the third quarter of the big game, followed by a phased rollout of additional elements, including broadcast, cinema, digital, print, experiential, social media and CRM components
• Extended cut will be available on kia.com/K900-superbowl beginning on January 28

IRVINE, Calif., January 28, 2014 – “The world of luxury has been pulled over your eyes, to blind you from the truth.” With these words – and his signature trench coat and reflective sunglasses – Laurence Fishburne returns to the iconic role of Morpheus from The Matrix¹ trilogy in a multiplatform marketing effort from Kia Motors America (KMA) for the all-new K900 rear-drive luxury sedan set to premiere during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVIII.  Modern and elegant, the K900 signals a new era for Kia, and the campaign was conceived to cause people to question everything they think they know about the brand by showing a side of luxury they’ve never seen before.

Channeling the films’ exploration of perception versus reality, the first element of the campaign is the 60-second Super Bowl spot in which Morpheus offers an unsuspecting couple a startling choice while waiting at an upscale restaurant’s valet stand:  “Take the blue key, you go back to the luxury you know.  Take the red key, and you’ll never look at luxury the same again.”

After reaching for the red key, the plot thickens as Morpheus accompanies the couple on an unforgettable ride filled with imagery from and nods to The Matrix films to explain “what luxury looks like” – the K900’s V8 power, advanced technology and superb craftsmanship and materials – and “what luxury sounds like,” by serenading them with a soaring rendition of “Nessun dorma,” an aria from Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot.  As the K900 drives by, two strikingly similar-looking agents gaze in disbelief as streetlights explode and high-rise buildings ripple like water.

“Kia has always been willing to challenge the status quo, and starting with our Super Bowl commercial we are out to dispel the notion that tradition and history are what makes a luxury sedan – we invite those with an open-mind to take a look at the all-new K900 and form an opinion of their own,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing & communications, KMA.  “The K900 offers something modern and different for the growing number of people who don’t want to be confined by the traditional definitions of luxury, and returning to the Super Bowl for the fifth straight year allows us to send a clear signal to TV’s largest audience that something different is going on at Kia.” 

Before and after the Super Bowl, the fully-integrated campaign – created by David&Goliath, KMA’s advertising agency of record – will incorporate TV, cinema, digital, print, experiential, social media and CRM components, all drawing heavily on imagery and ideas from the films, including:  levitating cars, authentic costumes and props, and a recreation of the stark white environment of “The Construct.”  In the extended 90-second cut available for viewing at www.kia.com/K900-superbowl, the K900’s presence bends the spoon of a woman in a red dress.

With the V8 expected to go on sale this Spring², the all-new 2015 K900 is poised to challenge the full-size rear-drive luxury sedan segment with an extensive list of standard equipment, world-class accommodations and stunning design that will redefine consumer perception and expectations of the Kia brand.