• by Karl Greenberg , March 3, 2009

Kia this month launches its newest car, the Soul compact car, with an integrated campaign comprising TV, print, outdoor and Web advertising that begins late this month. The effort, via L.A.-based independent David & Goliath, promotes the car as the flagship for a new design direction to be evinced in several new vehicles rolling out in the next two years, including the Kia Forte, coming later this year.

The company began the effort with a 60-second, in-cinema spot that launched this week. The ads are targeted to Gen Y consumers who like style and design.

The agency used Framestore London for the ads. The firm did the visual effects for "The Dark Knight" and "The Golden Compass."

The 60-second spot, from which other ads will be derived, opens on a cookie-cutter suburban neighborhood. A giant hamster in a garage evinces the workaday world by trudging endlessly on a wheel.

The camera cuts to a series of vignettes showing other suburban hamsters running on their wheels, intended as a metaphor for the daily commute. Once in the city, the hamsters--still running in their wheels--find themselves at a red light. Suddenly, a bright red Kia Soul rolls into the frame.

The car window comes down to reveal three hip hamsters bumping to music blaring from their stereo. The hamsters in the wheels are jolted from their mundane daze as they stare at the cool hamsters in the Soul.

The hamsters share a moment before the cool hamsters drive off. We follow the car as it speeds away, eventually arriving on the roof of a downtown parking structure. The tagline appears: "Soul. A New Way to Roll."

The spot also uses music from up-and-coming bands and spotlights the sound system that features mood lighting that can pulsate to the beat of the music. There will be about five variations of the same spot in rotation, each with a different piece of music from various music genres.