Kia Revives Hip Hamsters, To Do Heavy Lifting for the Brand

(MoneyWatch)  They may be small, but the Kia hamsters are doing some heavy lifting for Kia Motors America (KIMTF.PK), so the company will bring them back in November, in advertising for a year-end clearance sale.

"They're recognizable," said Michael Sprague, marketing vice president for Kia's U.S. sales and marketing subsidiary.

Breaking through advertising clutter is Job One for the Kia hamsters. For anyone on a desert island and/or no access to YouTube, the Kia hamsters helped introduced the Kia Soul last spring.

The ads were a viral success. In the TV ads, the computer-animated Kia hamsters bob their heads in time with the music inside their Kia Soul, while other, unhip hamsters run in place in their exercise wheels.

Nonconformist imagery was a good match for the Kia Soul, a small crossover SUV with squared-off styling. The Kia Soul is not for the timid, and not just because of the distinctive styling. It can be ordered with lighted speakers that flash on and off in time with the music. Exterior color choices include a day-glo green that Kia calls "Space Alien."

However, Sprague retired the Kia hamsters when it came time to introduce what he called a more "serious" car, the Kia Forte, which replaces the Kia Spectra this year. The move made me worry that Kia was taking itself too seriously.

But Kia research showed that the hamsters delivered, breaking through ad clutter and creating brand recognition, so Sprague decided to revive them, in ads that will start running in late November, through December.

The Kia brand can't afford to set aside imagery that works. Kia is moving upscale and into several new product categories at once, like the 2011 Kia Sorento, a compact crossover with an optional third row of seats, which will replace the current Kia Sorento early next year. The old Sorento is a more like a traditional truck-based SUV.

Kia is trying to shed its image as a "cheap and cheerful" brand, Sprague said.

"Cheap" is OK if consumers perceive it as "affordable," and "good value for the money," as opposed to cheaply built. "Cheerful" is a good attribute, and the hamsters help there.

Photo: Kia