Stories behind the ads

Kia: “Hamsters — A New Way to Roll”

Hip-hop hamsters cruise through a world of hamster wheels in a boxy Kia Soul.

Brand
Kia
Year
2010
Agency
David&Goliath
Category
Cars

In a city where everyone is a hamster running in a wheel, three hamsters roll past in a boxy little car, nodding along to a hip-hop track. The hamster wheels are a joke about boring daily routines; the car is presented as the way out.

The hamsters were created by the Los Angeles agency David&Goliath for the Kia Soul, and this 2010 film, "A New Way to Roll", turned them into a long-running campaign that lasted for years. They later danced to other songs and even appeared in Super Bowl spots.

The campaign helped give Kia, then seen mainly as a budget brand, a fun and young personality in the United States. It also shows how a recurring character can make a brand instantly recognisable: today many people remember the hamsters before they remember the car's name.

Kia — Hamsters — A New Way to Roll Watch the full ad on YouTube

Could you recognise it with the logo hidden? This ad is one of 129 famous commercials in Guess the Ad.

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