AUNZ Work of the Week: INNOCEAN And Kia

The latest chapter of Kia’s ‘Tasman Town’ campaign features tennis champions Rafael Nadal and Ash Barty, with an all-star lineup of sporting legends turned tradies. From Innocean Australia, the spot showcases the ute's capabilities while expanding the fictional world where athletes pursue second careers.

Ash relocates to Tasman Town only to find her house in disrepair. A who’s-who of Australian sports icons arrive to help, including basketballers Luc Longley and Erin Phillips, AFL great Peter Daicos, cricketers Jason Gillespie and Mike Whitney, and tennis stars Pat Rafter and Rafael Nadal.

Kicking off with ‘Kia’s Getting a Ute’, the brand platform incorporates Australian sporting icons to build hype ahead of the ute’s launch. This followed INNOCEAN Australia’s earlier electric vehicle campaign for the brand, which incorporated a Zombie Apocalypse to showcase the product's benefits.

‘Tasman Town’ is becoming an excellent example of sustained campaign storytelling. By gradually expanding its roster of athlete-tradies, the automaker maintains freshness while reinforcing its ute’s credentials. The playful trades -- from scoop excavators to stump removers -- cleverly showcase vehicle features without overt specs talk.

The risk lies in over-reliance on celebrity cameos that overshadow product benefits, but demonstrating the product with storytelling helps the brand avoid typical auto category traps.