The centerpiece of Kia’s new national campaign is a :90 film titled “The Arrival” about a newborn baby hamster that is so fast, it’s impossible to catch. Set in a hospital, the film opens on a young nurse making rounds in the maternity ward when she comes across an empty bassinet. It’s revealed that the missing baby is our speedy newborn hamster, racing through the hospital in a diaper and destroying everything in its path. Nurses, doctors, orderlies and other medical staffers chase after the baby hamster in hot pursuit until it swan-dives off the roof of the hospital, utilizes a make-shift parachute and lands in the sunroof of a new Kia turbo Soul, now available with a 201-horsepower engine.
L.A.-based agency David&Goliath aimed to deliver a fresh take on Kia’s ongoing hamster-themed fare. For music, D&G chose the sonic embodiment of speed: Motorhead’s iconic speed metal anthem “Ace of Spades.” The team also worked with director Matthijs Van Heijningen of MJZ to give the narrative a true cinematic feel while dialing up Kia’s trademark in the most kinetic way possible. Then, together with JAMM VFX, they developed the character of the baby hamster and animated it within the real-world hospital environment. The film was shot with anamorphic lenses and was designed specifically to run in movie theaters.
The campaign includes :90, :60, :30 and :15-second extensions for both general and Hispanic markets across in-cinema, digital and online channels.
Client Kia Motors Agency David&Goliath, Los Angeles David Angelo, founder & chairman; Bobby Pearce, chief creative officer; Gustavo Sarkis, executive creative director; Basil Cowieson, James Cohen, creative directors; Paul Albanese, director of broadcast production; Curt O’Brien, executive broadcast producer. Production MJZ Matthijs Van Heijningen, director; Eriks Krumins, sr. exec producer; Donald Taylor, producer. Editorial Work Editorial Jono Griffith, editor; Mario Baird, exec producer; Brandee Probasco, producer; Josh Sasson, assistant editor. VFX JAMM Andy Boyd, VFX supervisor/lead CG; Jake Montgomery, VFX supervisor/lead compositor; Brian Hajek, lead compositor; Patrick Munoz, Mark Holden, Flame artists; Dylan Brown, Nuke artist; Brian Burke, Zachary DiMaria, Kristen Eggleston, Nha Ca Chau, JT Lawrence, Steward Burris, Joshua Merck, Ty Coyle, Jordan Harris, Joel Durham, George Saavedra, CG artists; Ashley Greyson, producer; Asher Edwards, EP. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini) Color MPC Mark Gethin, colorist; Meghan Lang, exec producer. Music Editing/Sound Design stimmung Rory Doggett, creative director; Gus Koven, sound designer; Kristina Iwankiw, exec producer. Licensed Music “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead Audio Post Margarita Mix, Santa Monica, Calif. Nathan Dubin, mixer.
Vanish, BETC Havas and LOBO Reveal The Invisible Stains Of Bullying
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More