Here’s What The Theme Of The KIA Telluride Super Bowl Ad Would Have Been If WE Were Hired To Do It

One of our favorite new rides coming in 2019 is the all new Kia Telluride.

And yesterday, they showed super bowl ad revealing it to the public with a theme that fixated on the rural Georgia town and people that would build it. And honestly, the focus just seemed wrong.

And we think they missed a huge opportunity to position it and build customer excitement.

What do we mean by that?

Well, lets look at the market and give you our first impression on seeing the Telluride.

When we first laid eyes on it I said to myself "Dang, a BETTER LOOKING Lexus LX, that will cost a LOT less because it's a Kia."

And even though Lexus doesn't sell that many LX's anymore that SUV has a reputation that so many other brands would DIE to have. To the average consumer, the Lexus is an unbreakable RangeRover/tank with an interior that's as luxurious as the Louis Vuitton store.

A great vehicle but with a price, that in our opinion, has gotten way to high and hasn't been given a proper upgrade.

So when business conditions hit that sweet spot, it's the PERFECT opportunity for someone to sweep in a STEAL the market and image away. As Austin Powers would say, steal their MOJO.

So what would the theme of the ad been if we were hired to do it?

Here's the storyboard:

The ad showcases three typical scenarios:

1. A night on the town
2. A golf outing at the club
3. A family with kids going to sports practice/game

In each scenario, the Telluride is mistaken for the Lexus LX.

Scenario 1, the valet brings the Telluride up and says here's your Lexus sir/maam. the owner responds, It's not a Lexus, it's the new Kia Telluride. Valet person says "WHOA!"

Scenario 2, Valet finishes putting clubs in back and people get into all three rows. Valet says everything is loaded, your Lexus is ready and hands off the keys Valet person says "WHOA!"

Scenario 3, Family shows up to team practice/game and as they all get out another family says "Hi, I see you got a new Lexus, NICE!. Owner says It's not a Lexus, it's the new Kia Telluride. Other family in unison says "WHOA!"

Ad ends with close-up of Telluride luxury interior/exterior and announcer says "The all new 'AFFORDABLE' Kia Telluride. WHOA!"

Spies, chime in with your opinions...is this the theme they should have used or where they smart to mimic the Chrysler 'Made in Detroit theme?

Car4life1 - 2/4/2019 9:49:38 PM

+3 Boost

Please stick to your day jobs...btw Buick already tried your approach and failed miserably...

https://youtu.be/KNgZ241PMhU

Agent001 - 2/4/2019 9:57:08 PM

-1 Boost

The only reason GM is alive is because of Buick. Take away the China sales and things would be much worse.

001

MDarringer - 2/4/2019 10:15:42 PM

+2 Boost

Buick is showing signs of sputtering in the USA.

MDarringer - 2/4/2019 9:54:20 PM

0 Boost

Scenario 1: cliche
Scenario 2: cliche
Scenario 3: cliche

"Woah" (sic) is the slogan??? Now that's funny

"Whoa" is the correct spelling by the way.

Agent001 - 2/4/2019 9:56:14 PM

-6 Boost

I'm floating a basic idea...not the final words/slogans. And thank you for the heads up.

001

Agent001 - 2/4/2019 9:59:03 PM

-6 Boost

I used Whoa!, because it's way to illustrate surprise....the theme is everyone is surprised that Kia can build something that could be mistaken for a Lexus.

I also like the 50 cent song when he says that ;)

001

Agent001 - 2/4/2019 11:59:33 PM

-5 Boost

I tell you this after seeing it. If it costs 1/3 less than a LC it's going to sell like good BBQ.

Plus, it looks better than both of them.

001

dumpsty - 2/5/2019 9:33:03 AM

0 Boost

Nobody will confuse the 2 brands. But the Telluride will be a welcome alternative to the Tahoe/Expedition/Armada/Sequoia/Durango/Passport/CX7/Ascent --- this market is huge. Plenty of consumers looked at the Sante Fe/Sorento & have been pleased. They'll do the same thing with the Telluride.

cidflekken - 2/5/2019 4:08:44 AM

+5 Boost

The problem is that Kia and Hyundai have already been rightfully accused of derivative styling. Your scenarios would only serve to reinforce that notion. Kia (and Hyundai and Genesis) needs to find a way stand on its own merits. Now, somehow comparing it favorably to a Lexus would make more logical sense vs being mistaken for one.

mre30 - 2/5/2019 6:23:43 AM

+8 Boost

The Lexus LX570 can ford lakes and deserts, the Kia Telluride is kitted out for a mall parking lot or U10 soccer tournament. I'm not sure the comparison is apt.

MDarringer - 2/5/2019 8:22:17 AM

-6 Boost

The Lexus LX is an old, crude tractor with lipstick on the pig that it is.

MDarringer - 2/5/2019 8:21:37 AM

-6 Boost

You've done a side-by-side comparison of the both in person to come to that reasoned conclusion?

malba2367 - 2/5/2019 8:54:46 AM

+9 Boost

Why even compare the Telluride with a LX570. The Telluride looks like a good crossover, and it should do well against the Highlander, Pilot etc. The LX, while outdated, is one of the best built vehicles on the road and built with serious off road equipment. While we are at it, lets compare an X5 to a G550...obviously the X5 is a better fit for most people in everyday situations...

dumpsty - 2/5/2019 9:00:46 AM

+6 Boost

KIA totally blew their opportunity to simply showcase their new full-size SUV & all the great content & features that it has. They basically trashed "Marketing 101" to appeal to the emotional & indirect reasons to buy their brand & products. Garbage.

I haven't seen any ads from BMW or M-B saying, "...we build cars in small town SC or AL...keep our folks working...buy our stuff...please..."

xjug1987a - 2/5/2019 10:18:04 AM

-2 Boost

The Kia looked good in the commercial, they'll sell because many folks who own Sante Fe's & Sorento's have liked them and they were a good value. Their kids are bigger now and if their experience has been good, they'll go back. If the SF/Sorento's are leased they'll return them and potentially get the Palisade or Telluride. (excellent names BTW). Many Kia/Huyndai dealers are newer faclities to as they've only been surging the last 20 years where as some Chevy dealers are filthy and old so the environment is more pleasant.

https://www.kia.com/us/en/vehicle/telluride/2020

That said I just went here and a fully loaded Telluride with Nappa Leather is going to be about $45K but certainly in the $45-50K mark whereas a fully loaded Tahoe Premier is $20K more expensive. Thats real and big money and why spend it when you get more somewhere else? The interior looks absolutly terrific too and we all know GM interiors are pretty much 80's Hyundai quality, an embarrasment to a once great company.

Anyone who doubts the resolve of the Koreans to win is an idiot...

malba2367 - 2/5/2019 2:06:53 PM

+3 Boost

The Ad hit the right notes for the target market. There is a wave or patriotism especially amongst blue collar workers who this vehicle is targeted at. The demographic of Kia sways more towards blue collar types than honda toyota etc...their big competitor will be the Ford Explorer, which is the one to beat from the way things look right now based on powertrains/packaging/brand loyalty. The Telluride, (as nice as it may look or as hard as they tried to copy BMW interior design), will not be cross shopped against the GLS/X7/LX570 etc.

Also BTW BMW has had a lot of commercials saying they make cars in SC, that the SC factory is their largest and that they export more cars from the USA than anyone else over the years.

dumpsty - 2/6/2019 2:52:07 PM

-2 Boost

Maybe you should research the Honda Pilot/MDX.