Many of us often wonder what it would be like to go back in time. How would it feel? Would we love it or rush back to the present?
Kia AOR David&Goliath has delivered a powerful, time-traveling :60 Super Bowl spot, titled Feel Something Again, starring legendary Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler.
Taking place at an old abandoned racetrack and with the familiar licks of classic rock tune “Dream On” playing backwards, Tyler looks as though he’s about to race the Stinger against another legend, two-time Formula One and Indianapolis 500 champion Emerson Fittipaldi.
After a moment of reflection, rather than driving the car forward, Tyler takes the car backwards around the track, in reverse. When he comes to a stop… well watch the spot below:
David Angelo, founder & chairman of D&G said: “After test driving the Stinger and all its competitors, the biggest difference was that the Stinger made me feel something. The challenge was to bring that feeling to life in a way that was totally unexpected. Kind of like driving backwards on a racetrack to another point in time.”
“The Stinger is the dream car driving enthusiasts have been longing for with its head-turning design, premium amenities and heart-pounding power at an incredibly value-packed price,” added Saad Chehab, vice president, marketing communications, Kia Motors’ America. “As the youngest mainstream car company in the U.S., our youth – and the fearlessness that comes with it – is Kia’s strength, and the youthful mindset we share with Steven Tyler and Emerson Fittipaldi is on full display in our Super Bowl ad.”
D&G worked with Nicolai Fuglsig of MJZ, world renowned director of 12 Strong, to give the spot an epic cinematic, almost haunting, tone.
One of the aspects of the spot that stands out is [SPOILER] Tyler’s appearance at the end. After driving backwards, a 25-year-old Tyler emerges from the car. The FX by The Mill are on par with what Marvel did to create a much younger Robert Downey Jr. in Captain America: Civil War.
Angelo explained the difficulties of pulling off such an effect. “We had to get that absolutely right. Fortunately, thanks to the amazing artists at the Mill, we were able to get the glowing approval of Steven, his daughter, friends and a handful of rockers who know him best.”
He then went into how the mesmerizing track was created. “With the help of Human, an LA-based music company, and Steven Tyler, we created an original music composition that gradually transforms into Tyler’s ‘Dream On’ – a song about the passage of time – almost as if it was a distant memory that resurfaced as he raced back through the years.”
The driving in reverse concept not only hearkens back to the spirit of youth in both Tyler and Kia, but it’s also a change of course for the brand, which is proving to buck the conventions of the auto industry at every turn.
If the viewers’ overwhelming positive reactions on Kia’s YouTube Channel are any indication of how the spot will be received on the Super Bowl, it should do very well. Below are a choice few.
“This will go down as one of the greatest Super Bowl commercials of all-time!” – Commercial Time
“BEST COMMERCIAL EVER! STEVEN WE LOVE YOU!” – Melisssa Salatino
“Jaw Dropping AMAZING ?” – Mac Sting
Kia also has a little surprise in the spot to inspire people engage with the brand via social media. Based on the phenomenon of rock and roll musicians hiding secret messages in their albums in the 70s, Steven Tyler included a little message into the spot. People who watch the spot on Youtube can hear something strange but will only make out the actual message when watching the spot in reverse, which will be provided on the brand’s channel. On Twitter Kia will engage with their audience to see who got the hidden message right.
I would say Kia’s youth is its greatest weapon. In an industry full of “old-ish” automakers, Kia is too young to know what can’t be done. There is no better example of this than pairing the all-new Stinger, Kia’s highest performing and most anticipated model in the company’s history, with Tyler.
These are the types of ingenious and creative spots that make me jealous and wish I was back in advertising. Maybe if I get a Stinger and drive backwards…
