• June 4, 2013

Kia is serious about luxury. Seriously. The Irvine, Calif.-base U.S. operation has rolled out its most upscale vehicle, the Cadenza, which starts at around $35,000. Yes, a Kia that starts at the price of an entry-level Bimmer. 

The Irvine, Calif.-based company has also launched its most upscale advertising for the car, with a theme that parallels Kia's arc over the years: the girl who was a wallflower in high school, who nobody followed thereafter, but who shows up at the reunion an absolute stunner. 

The advertising, therefore, is as much about the brand's growth over the years as the car that serves as an emblem of Kia's ambitions. In the new spot, via AOR Santa Monica-based David & Goliath, a Cadenza cruises NYC streets driven by a woman whose attributes are only hinted at, mostly by her misty lips, silken hair, and stilettos. 

She shows up at the 20-year reunion (which means she's 38, but looks not a day over 25) and sashays in as jaws drop like flatware. She, like the car, is “impossible to ignore.” The spot is also set to Bowie, though not so obviously, until you hear lines like "Mysterious moonlight".